Aragorn's Tale 2of3: The Little Hunter complete
by Pippin's Sunshine
Summary: I got this idea from FOTR. This is a continuation of "A Mother's Love"--also published on . This is a combination of book/movie.
1. Chapter 1

**The Little Hunter**

"In her heart, your mother knew you would be hunted the rest of your life. The skill of the Elves can reforge the sword of kings, only you have the power to wield it."

Good-byes are Hard

April- 2 weeks after Estel's ninth birthday

Springtime in Rivendell was always lovely. The smells of rain and roses filled the air. The snows in the mountains were just beginning to melt with the spring sun, so the River was at its loudest. The water came crashing down the mountainside to the valley where it slowed, then ran back out again.

This was the day that Estel and his mother were to take the trip to Lórien with the Dùnedain. Elrond had given the Rangers instructions on which passes to take. He informed them that the best way was to go to the South of Rivendell to the Hollin Ridge where it met the Ninglor River, and then follow it out of the mountains to the Gladden Fields. The region would be safe enough as no one had inhabited it since the time of the forging of the Rings of power. The Elves that lived there had been friendly with the Dwarves and even helped in the construction of Khazad-Dùm. But their knowledge of lore and of artisan crafts became their downfall. Sauron tricked them into making the Rings of Power, thus causing them to become slaves to his will.

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They would be safe and on track as long as the Anduin stayed on the left. He told them they should reach Lórien by the end of June or the beginning of July. The trip would take at least two months, as they would be traveling slowly. Estel was thrilled that he would finally be able to take Melian riding in the wild.

That morning, Estel's stomach was full of butterflies. This would be the first time he would be leaving his home. They would be back within a year, but it was hard for him to leave. He really hated that his brothers would not even be there to say goodbye. He knew he would miss them and his Ada.

While the Rangers were getting the final supplies together, Estel went to find Glorfindel and his Ada. He had wanted to say a private goodbye to them.

"Thank you for letting me go Ada. I'll be sure to write to let you know I'm not causing too much trouble, " he said with a grin. He ran to give Glorfindel a hug, "I'll miss you as well."

"I guess I'll miss you, but I don't feel at all sorry for the Warden. Estel, please, just don't get hurt. We all want you to come back safe."

A messenger came to tell the three that the party was ready to leave. The two Elves escorted Estel back down stairs to where the horses were.

"Goodbye Elrond and Glorfindel. Tell Elladan and Elrohir we're sorry we missed them and to stay out of trouble," Gilrean called from her horse.

After Estel had mounted, they turned their horses and headed out of the valley…

"Oh, Eru, keep them both safe."


	2. Chapter 2

C.2

Until recently, Estel had not been allowed to travel very far from his home in Imladris. He fully expected this trip to be an adventure of the grandest sorts. One thing he had learned in his studies was that adventures always followed everyone if given the chance to seek to them out. That was his plan for this trip, to seek out new adventures.

Of course, he was just as excited about learning the weapons of the Elves. He had already had some practice with the small wooden sword he had been given long ago. It was becoming worn out, but Estel refused to throw it away. It was one of the only things that he had that made him remember his father. No one understood this, but he never told his mother of this memory. He feared it would upset her too much.

The trip through the mountains was at times impossible and at others it was almost too easy. The travelers had to pick their way carefully through the pass. There were places that had sinkholes of 10 feet of snow and one step into those would mean the end of horse and rider. And then there were some places that water flowed across like a river from the melting snows.

Estel had never seen this much snow in one place. It was blinding during the day and freezing cold at night. The travelers did their best to make camps comfortable at night for them and the horses, though it was hard. The Rangers were hard-pressed to find caves or covers with enough room for the whole party.

Estel loved when they stopped in the old caverns. After the first few, he finally pestered his mother enough to let him do some exploring of the caves whenever they stopped. She agreed on the condition that he would allow one of the Rangers to accompany him.

Estel called them adventures and he would always pretend to be on the hunt for some wild or rare animal. Although his mother had no desire to see her son as a Ranger, he was already developing the tracking skills necessary to become one. The Rangers always watched him closely when he went on these explorations. They all knew that he would one day become a great leader for them; they saw his father in him.

On one of these "adventures", Estel stumbled upon a sleeping bear. It was amazing to him to see how the mother protected her cub, even in sleep. On this part of the journey, he was able to spy on the mother bear and her cub frequently because the party got caught in one of the rare springtime mountain snows. Although Estel loved the endless caverns, he was starting to get cabin fever. The blizzard had already lasted for seven days and was just beginning to show signs of weakening. It would still be a few days before they could continue.

One of the Rangers traveling with Estel and his mother was named Cornal. He was usually the one that went with Estel on his wanderings through the caves because he was the only one who really understood the little one's need for adventure. He had been with Estel when he had found the bears.

"Estel, be quiet. I think I hear something," Cornal had whispered to the boy. He loosed his sword just enough in case there was danger around the corner.

As they rounded the corner, Estel drew his breath in sharply. He had never seen a bear before. They preferred the mountain caves to the forests of Rivendell.

Cornal started backing away; he did not want to become dinner for the bear. He watched in shear terror as Estel kept walking towards the bear.

Silently, he crept closer and closer until he was on the other side of the cave, facing the bear. Cornal figured that it was the mother because there was tiny baby cub tucked under the bear's arm. Estel stood in awe for a few moments, and then began to go back to where Cornal stood.

As soon as they were close enough to their camp, Estel began to run. He was so excited; he had to tell his mother. A poem was running through his head as well.

"Momma, Momma!" Estel cried as he ran to her. "Woah, slow down. What is it? What has you so excited?" "You won't believe what we found in the cave!"

"Which was what?" Gilrean was really starting to wonder what he had found; it had clearly excited him, but he obviously didn't want to tell her either.

Estel motioned for her to bend down so he could whisper in her ear. When he got through telling the story, she was speechless. Gilrean knew that the bears still had a few more weeks of hibernation; so she wasn't concerned that they would be in danger while the snow still fell.

After Estel finished telling his tale, he sat down to write his poem. He wrote it for his mother and for the bear he had just seen.

_The Bears_

_The mother bear protects her young_

_Soft brown fur_

_Warmth inside_

_Enough warmth for the cub too_

_The bears are lucky_

_They sleep for months and months_

_Then wake up to the spring thaws_

_And eat and eat until it is time to sleep again._

_The bear is a strong hunter_

_Much like the Rangers_

_They find their food:_

_Fish, nuts, berries_

_Mothers all over_

_Take care of their young_

_Keep them warm_

_Heart and soul_

After he was finished writing, Estel tucked the poem away in a safe place. He would have to save it so Glorfindel could add it to his book in Imladris.

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Everyday he would convince Cornal to take him to see the bears. Estel was amazed to see that he could tell that the cub was growing a bit everyday, even while it slept.

"Am I growing that fast?" Estel asked one day. There were many days where he couldn't wait to be a grown up, but there was others where he just enjoyed causing trouble too much to think about growing up.

"No, you're not yet, but you will in a few years. Soon, no orc or animal will have a chance against you little hunter. That is why we are taking this trip, or so I've heard. So that you can learn the art of shooting a bow and arrow from the best of the Elven archers," Cornal told Estel.

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Several days later, the snows stopped and the party made ready to continue the journey. Estel took his mother and Cornal to see the bears before they left. Gilrean had been reluctant to go so near them, but she decided to indulge him. She was shocked to see the sight that was in front of her. Estel cautiously approached the figures of the bears. He was very surprised when the mother opened her eyes and looked straight at him….

Estel began to back away slowly. Cornal and Gilrean could see that something had frightened Estel, though he was trying to not show it. The bear got up slowly and began walking towards him.

Cornal very swiftly and quietly notched an arrow and aimed it at the bear just in case. But, there was no need. Estel told him not to shoot the bear; he didn't feel threatened. He hoped the bear didn't either. For a few moments, time stood still for Gilrean. She could not believe what she was witnessing.

Estel calmly reached out his hand and the bear inched her way forward. She allowed the young human to touch her fur. He was surprised when the cub came trotting up to him and gently nuzzled him on the leg. Estel was very much amazed that wild creatures could show him so much affection.

Suddenly, the mother bear knocked Estel down. He was a bit shocked and was praying that he would not become the bear's first meal of the season. He was even more surprised when she started licking him, trying to groom him.

Gilrean became worried when the bear had knocked Estel over, but all anxiety soon fled when she heard him start giggling. "Hey, that tickles," he was telling the cub as it started lightly pouncing on him while he was down.

He finally managed to free himself after a few minutes. That was the neatest thing that had happened to him. He wrapped his arms around the bear's neck and whispered something to her, something neither Cornal nor his mother heard.

"Don't worry. I will always remember this. I will never willingly hurt a bear when I become a hunter. Thank you for being so kind. I hate to leave you, but I have to."

He slowly turned around to go back to his mother. When he reached her, he gave her a big hug. "I love you momma, let's get going before the others miss us too much," he said with a tear in his eye.

He had meant every word that he had said to the bear. This would be one of those experiences that he would never forget. Elladan and Elrohir would be so mad at him when he told them this story…


	3. Chapter 3

The Thunder Battle

The Rangers were always on the lookout for traces of Orcs. All races whether men or elves hated orcs, so whenever possible they fought to eradicate them.

Disaster struck when the party was almost out of the mountain pass.

They had only planned to stop for one night, but were delayed by several days because of a huge thunderstorm. Estel had never seen or heard anything like it. To him, it was a thunder battle where all of the hosts of Manwë and Melcor were waging war in the Heavenlies. He was absolutely terrified until one of the Rangers, Camlost, told him this story:

"Didn't you know that the sky is having a conversation? When the sky gets cloudy and the sun runs behind them, it's time for thunder and lightning's party."

"Really? But why do they have to be so loud? I can barely hear myself think!"

"It's because we are so close to them. They make their homes in the high mountain passes. In Rivendell, you are down in the valley far below their houses. Why don't you go check on Melian and see if she's ok?" Camlost asked, seeing he was reassured they were safe.

The horses protested the noise and light as well, stirring against their pickets. More than lightning and rain was worrying them; they were lathered with sweat and their cries rang out, echoing between rolls of thunder. The rangers said nothing to each other, but they were preparing their weapons and watching vigilantly.

Estel ran to the side of the cave to where the horses were. "Hello my beauty. I hope the thunderstorm isn't keeping you awake. Soon, we will be able to ride like the wind through the fields," Estel told her.

At this, she whinnied, that sounded like a wonderful idea to her! Melian's ears twitched as Estel patted her nuzzle, "Oh! You're tickling me! I think you already guessed what I have," he told her with a grin.

Then he produced two sugar cubes. "I'm sorry I don't have more, this is all we have left. But I'm sure there will be MILLIONS of sugar cubes in Lórien, just for you!"

Estel began brushing her coat. He couldn't wait until they reached the river. She was in need of a good scrub-down. Her coat was as shiny as ever, but it needed a wash every now and then.

At that moment, the rain suddenly stopped.


	4. Chapter 4

c. 4 ORCS!

Gilrean had been asleep; the rain always had that effect on her. But with this new noise, she sat bolt upright and instantly rose to her feet.

What they all heard was the unmistakable sound of Orcs.

Reneal appeared next to Gilrean, thrusting the hilt of an extra sword into her hand. "Arm yourselves, we will need all the help we can receive."

Gilrean raised the weapon. She was trained in the use of the sword, as were all the women of the Dùnedain, but it had been long years since she had held one. The blade had the unmistakable characteristics of the Ranger's swords; it could be used as a one-handed or two-handed sword and the blade was short and sharp. She ran to the place where her son stood. He had managed to arm himself with a long knife that one of the men had been using to whet a coney with; it made a good sword for him.

The cave was dark, as they had put out the fire. The lightning was growing less, but in its illuminations, Gilrean could see the swords of men and orcs gleam in delight of the bloodshed. The vast size of the cavern made the shrill cries of the Orcs innumerable.

The rangers stood in a sharp line near the entrance of the cave, swords drawn. The orcs were small, gnarled-looking creatures but they slavered and howled, like mad wolves for fresh meat. Their numbers were twice that of the Rangers.

But there were none that fought more valiantly than the men of the West. They let the orcs come in their ragged line to smash against their wedge, cutting themselves on the sharp steel barrier. Two rangers fell, arrows sprouting from their bodies, but the intermittent light foiled the archers. Other missiles bounced harmlessly against the walls of the cave, and Gilrean tightened her grip on the sword.

She heard a soft sound behind her, one that she would hear even with the shrieks of orcs and thunder in her ears. Estel had moved; he stood beside her with a determined and somewhat fearful expression on his face. Although, he felt his heart and knees would give way, he would not cower behind. He would have to learn to fight eventually, even fighting his worst fears.

Almost as suddenly as the attack had come, it ended. Although, time was not measured in a battle, it had seemed to Gilrean that she had stood rooted to the spot for hours.

Soon, the orcs were making their retreat; the strength of the small party had taken them by surprise. Reneal sent what rangers could be spared to follow them and make sure they would not return.

Estel walked slowly forward, to the side of a fallen ranger. The man's face was smooth and wet from the rain. An arrow protruded from his chest and he did not move. The little hunter placed one hand on the breast of the man, feeling no more life within. He turned his face toward Gilrean, fresh tears on his cheeks.

"His name was Camlost; I remember him."

Reneal came to Estel and looked at the young man. "It is a ranger's duty to die for his chieftain. You will see many men die Estel Dùnedain; they will die beside you and because of you. Your survival is most important. So remember them but do not mourn them. There is time enough for grief after the battles are fought."

Reneal's hand on Estel's shoulder was firm, very reassuring. "Thank you little one for your brave stand today, we are truly in your debt."

Estel then went and crawled into his mother's lap. It began to rain again, gently, as the rangers built cairns for their dead.


	5. Chapter 5

C.5

Estel did not remember much from the battle. He shivered, for even though his mother's arms were warm, his clothes were damp from the heavy perspiration that now ran freely down his back. He was thinking about what Reneal had said. Estel noticed something different in the Ranger's voice; it had sounded almost menacing to him, like a threat.

Ever since the first day in Rivendell, he always noticed that the hair on his neck stood on end whenever Reneal was around. He never told his mother because he did not want to upset her, but he knew that he would never be able to let his guard down.

He blinked as moisture dripped from his hair into his eyes and trembled as the lighting outside flashed brilliantly sending another shattering thunderclap to rock the mountain. It still felt and sounded like a dragon rolling over in its sleep. He was reassured a little bit, as the thunder seemed to be rolling off into the distance.

Gilrean hushed her son and rocked him; she was more terrified than the child was. She wished devoutly that she and Estel were back in Rivendell at the moment, instead of crouching in a shallow cave at the top of a mountain.

Not since her beloved Arathorn had died, had she felt so helpless and alone. The rangers were skilled and brave, but she could see in their eyes that they now doubted the necessity of this journey.

Gilrean had come to begin to doubt it, too. Surely her son could learn what he needed to know in Rivendell or from Reneal and the other rangers, but it was too late to turn back now.

She wondered why Elrond had been so insistent.

She looked down at her son; he had finally fallen asleep. She very carefully laid him down on his sleeping pad, so as not to wake him. He always looked so peaceful when he slept, but she could see now that not even slumber could erase the memories of this day. Estel's brow was creased as he dreamed of the hideous faces he had seen earlier, faces he had killed. Gilrean barely heard Reneal's footfalls.

"He sleeps uneasily. Only time can heal these bad memories. Do you wish for me to talk to him on the morrow? Maybe I can help relieve some of his new worries. Allow him to sleep only for a few hours; we must be off soon. We ran off those orcs too easily, next time we might not be so lucky. They will redouble their effort if we wait too long. We must press on as far as possible; we must reach the river soon."

Gilrean nodded her agreement and then quietly slipped under the blanket with her son. She held him close and drifted off into a restless sleep…


	6. Chapter 6

C.6 The Plan

Reneal stood watch at the entrance of the cave. His dark eyes were watching mother and son with new interest. He had always regarded the son of Arathorn with careful consideration. A plan had taken shape in his mind since the split of the Dùnedain tribe. He knew in his heart of hearts that it would likely be his demise. One of two things would happen though if he survived, he would be considered a traitor or ruled a hero. He was hoping this plan would be successful. He was tired of always being second in line and he was going to put a stop to it.

Reneal had also had his eye on Gilrean for a long time, a very long time. He had noted that she was still in mourning for her husband; he decided to take it into his own hands to help her get over her loss.

He felt that he had to be more careful now. His plan was almost ready to be fulfilled and he didn't want to ruin his chances. He could always tell that Estel didn't trust him, but he had to make him believe that everything would be okay.

Cornal gently awoke Estel and Gilrean.

"Madam, I'm sorry to wake you so soon, but the Rangers are eager to get out of the mountains. We must make for the river with all speed. I would suggest you tie a lead to Melian from your horse and allow Estel to ride with you until he is recovered from the shock. We don't need any more disasters. Gather all your supplies quickly, we are to set off in a few moments," he told her quietly trying to hide the alarm and fear he was feeling.

They were all still feeling rather shaken, as the scouts had returned seeing no trace of the Orcs. This did not bode well with the Rangers. They knew that the Orcs would soon be back to re-double their attack.

A few hours later, they managed to make it out of the mountains, but with much difficulty. A few scouts stayed behind to route any further attack. And more were sent ahead to maintain safety on their present course. So, the party that was actually traveling alongside Gilrean and her son was considerably reduced for a while.

The path that they had taken had become overgrown in the centuries of disuse. Many times, they had to dismount and lead their horses down into gullies and then find adequate paths back up the other side.

Estel woke to the sound of a waterfall. He also felt the warmth of the grass beneath him. They had stopped to make camp for a brief while. The horses needed a rest and so did the Rangers. He sat up slowly wondering if the events he remembered had all been a dream. Then he came to the realization that it had all been real when he saw the bandage on his hand.

Some sketchy details about the previous day were beginning to replay themselves in Estel's mind. He remembered standing near his mother and the horses when the fury of the orcs had been unleashed. Very few had made it as far back as they were, but they were just as unlucky. The rage of the woman and her son had stunned the few that made it through the Ranger's barricade.

Estel had been caught in a fight with a particularly tough orc. Somehow the knife he had been using was knocked out of his hand. He saw vividly as the orc's short sword had come down with a crushing blow. Estel covered his head with hands, and then shrieked in horror as the blade cut the top of his hand. A few seconds later, the orc lay dead at his feet, five arrows sticking out of its back.


	7. Chapter 7

C.7

A little while later, the party made to move down the river, but first they needed to find a safe place to cross.

"The water is too deep here." Reneal said, riding his horse back to the bank where Gilrean and Estel waited with the Dùnedain. "I wonder if there is not a safer, shallower place down river, where we can walk our horses across. Gilrean stay here and help tend to the wounds that we may have overlooked. Estel and I will go look for a shallower crossing."

Estel followed, though he was reluctant to do so. He had not completely recovered from the long journey, or the memories that continued to haunt his sleep. Reneal spoke to him with respect and authority, but something about him made Estel tense.

He had caught the man looking toward him and his mother at odd moments with a strange look in his eye. And if they made eye contact, Reneal would always look away very quickly. It made Estel feel uneasy. He looked at his mother as he rode past, noting with some anxiety that she looked a little worried, too. There were still orcs behind them, so maybe that is what she fretted about. She had no reason to fear Reneal, as Estel had not wholly expressed his concern over the man.

Reneal woke Estel from his thoughts with a sharp comment. "Hurry up. We need to cross the river soon." With that, Estel quickly checked his saddle to be sure it was on right and climbed on Melian.

They quietly rode down the course of the river; each lost in his own thoughts. When they were far enough from the camp, Reneal stopped his horse. Estel brought Melian to a stop beside him. He looked thoughtful at the river.

It looked like it was wider and shallower, but it had many rocks that caused the water to run louder, making it harder to hear.

Reneal motioned that they should try to cross here. Estel looked doubtful but followed him. The horses were soon up to their hocks in foaming water, but many of the stones were lose and caused the horses to stumble.

They were forced to turn around and find another crossing.


	8. Chapter 8

Reneal led Estel further downstream to a place where the waters calmed slightly. Estel was becoming more and more nervous; this was too far from the others. He had already seen many shallow places along the way at which they could have crossed at, but Reneal would not listen to him.

"Let's try to ride across here. Hopefully it won't be too deep." Reneal watched as Melian sank rapidly to her belly in the water. He was a little agitated to have to lose such a fine horse, but sacrifices must be made somewhere.

Melian did not like the water, especially when it was this deep. She had flattened her ears when it had proved too deep. Now Estel clicked the reins and backed them out of the danger. He was grateful for the training his brothers had given on riding horses. When they were back in the shallow water, she halfway raised her ears. Something about this place and the atmosphere was making her nervous. She could feel Estel's anxiety as well.

"She doesn't like this place, Reneal," said Estel. "And I agree with her. I think we should try someplace else."

"Maybe you should leave the thinking and leading to those who are older and more qualified," Reneal said with disgust.

"I… don't understand, Reneal." Estel had never heard that tone in Reneal's voice before. Estel was very confused, but now he was beginning to see a strange fire in the Ranger's eyes.

"Of course you do not understand! You are a child! And you have been raised by… Elves!" Reneal spat out the word as if it tasted bad in his mouth. "Don't you see? They are trying to trick you. They are trying to hide your true destiny from you! You should be in the wilds with the Rangers instead of living in a nice home in Rivendell. The Elves corrupt Men; they make them weak. Weak like Arathorn."

"Don't say that!" retorted Estel, fury rising in his young heart. "My father was not weak!"

"He is dead, is he not? He shouldn't be though. If he had been a stronger leader, or had given up being Chieftain then maybe he would still be alive. And then I wouldn't have to watch the future of our people run away to the Elves for help!" Reneal had always had a bitter hatred for the Elves and he had inwardly been loathe in allowing Gilrean and her son to move to Rivendell.

"What do you mean?" Estel asked a tremble in his voice. Hearing these words cut him deeply. A tear that he could not stop trickled down his cheek.

Reneal laughed at him. "I can see it; you too are weak! You should leave the leadership of the Dùnedain to me. I know how to lead them, and I will keep them pure and strong. The blood must not be thinned anymore. You know that I speak truly."

Estel couldn't place what he done that had made Reneal so furious with him. He knew only that the other was leading his horse slowly closer to him, and that a fire was burning in his eyes that made him quaver inside. Melian laid back her ears but did not move. Then he saw it, the fire that was there was the blaze of jealousy.

Reneal was right beside Estel now. Estel looked squarely at him, shoving his fear away. "We went to Rivendell to be safe. Lord Elrond would never harm my mother or me. He and Glorfindel are training me so that I may lead one day. I do not see how this could be a bad thing. I have promised to do my best. Reneal, from what I can see, the other Rangers respect you and that you have helped get them through."

Reneal's face darkened at Elrond's name. "You would listen to a half-elf before taking the word of a Dùnedain? You are no leader!" Suddenly Reneal reached down and grabbed Estel's foot, throwing him over his horse and into the deeper water.

Estel came up gasping for air. He struggled against the strong current, keeping his head above the surface. Suddenly, a hand closed on his collar and he was dunked roughly beneath the water. Reneal jerked him up out of the water and threw him onto the sand bar in the shallow water.

Reneal stood over him. "A young ranger must learn who leads the tribe, and I believe it is time you learned that lesson." Estel struggled as the man grabbed his tunic again, lifting him out of the water.

Estel was afraid that he would hold him in the deep water again. Again he was grateful for the torture of his brothers. He could hold his breath for several minutes, but he feared that would not be enough against the man. Reneal was twice the size of him and much stronger, this would not be an easy fight.

Then Estel remembered something that Elrohir had taught him.

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"Estel, I never want to hear that you used this move so you have an unfair advantage," Elrohir had said. "Promise me."

"I promise."

"If you ever find yourself against someone you know you can not beat, kick them in shin or stomach as hard as you possibly can, then run as fast as you can and get help. Understand?" Estel nodded. "Good."

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So Estel kicked hard, and Reneal fell back cursing, dropping the lad to the sand again. The man staggered backward and tripped, landing in the rough waters behind. Estel could see that he had gotten caught in the swift current as he was being carried downstream. There was no way he could help Reneal, unless he wanted to suffer the same fate.

Estel watched in horror as Reneal's head hit a boulder, then sank and did not reappear.

Estel quickly grabbed the stirrups of Melian's saddle, and she helped him clamor out of the river, where he shivered, soaked to the skin.

Reneal's horse followed them out, shaking itself and looking not at all concerned for his rider.

Estel fretted, wondering if he should stay or ride back for help.

"Stay here," he said to Reneal's mount, and he pulled himself into Melian's saddle with an effort, riding quickly back to the camp, wondering if he should feel guilty for what he had done. In truth, he was still angry with Reneal for the things he had said about Arathorn.

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Estel did not remember falling off of Melian, but he did. He woke up on the bank of the river with her standing over him nuzzling his face.

Estel sat up slowly; he had a huge headache. Melian knelt down so he could climb back on. He could see the campfire at the top of the hill; he was almost there.

The Rangers had been on the lookout for signs of Reneal and Estel. They were about to send a search party when Estel appeared over the ridge, riding slowly.

Gilrean came running up him as he dismounted. She had been pacing frantically for over an hour, worried about her son.

"Cornal! He's hurt!" Gilrean yelled. Softly, she laid him down in the grass, "Estel, where is Reneal? Tell me what happened!"

As Cornal tended to the gash on his head, Estel quietly told them about the incident on the River. He told as much as he could remember in-between sobs.

"Reneal…is…..gone. He…he….tried to attack me. He…hit his head…and…never…came….back up. His horse…stayed down stream when…I came back."

"Sh, sh… it's okay. We'll send a few Rangers to go look. Estel, look at me," Gilrean said softly. "What happened was not your fault. I'm so sorry that I didn't listen to you. Try to get some rest and we'll try to head out soon." Gilrean took her son in her arms and wept with him until he passed out again. She was unwilling to put him down.

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The party reached the Northern border of Lothlorien about two weeks later.

For once in his life, Estel did not have much to say. He was still recovering from the shock of being attacked and watching so many brave Rangers die. Reneal's words still rang in his ears. The Elves did not make men weak. He would be fine. He never told his mother what Reneal had said about Arathorn.

Estel had heard what she told him about it not being his fault, but he still felt that it was. Everyday he wondered about what was so special about himself that had caused Reneal to become so jealous.


	9. Chapter 9

c. 9 Answers

The company was greeted warmly and led as fast as the Elves could to the City of the Galadhrim. Estel looked about him in wonder. He had never seen such huge trees. One of the younger Elves dropped behind the rest of the guard to where Estel was riding. "Mae Govannen, Estel Arathornion. My name is Aglarmir, I have been assigned to keep you company until you begin your training with the March Warden. Is there anything that you wish to know? We have quite a long ways to ride to get to the heart of the city. We will stop and make camp when the light begins to fade."

"Yes, I do have a few questions. What are these huge trees called? I have never seen anything like them before!"

"Of course not, they only grow here in Lothlórien. They are Mallorn. The trees grow until they touch the sky and it is said that Eru fashioned them out of the same living earth that the Two Trees in Valinor were made of before their destruction. Their leaves change colors with the seasons, but do not fall. As you can see, they are golden hued right now. In the winter time, they turn silver."

At that moment, they passed under one of the huge trees. Estel looked up in wonder. "The trees in Rivendell change color too, but not like you said these do."

For a while, the two fell into companionable silence. Every now and then, Estel could see his mother looking back at him. She was more than worried about her son. It was unlike him to be so quiet and melancholy. Maybe when he started his training, he would become his normal self again.

"Aglarmir, what is the Lady Galadriel like? I have heard some of the Rangers tell stories of an elf-witch. And how they never should have agreed to take this trip as it was probably just a trap." Estel said all this in one breath, as he did not want to offend his new friend.

Aglarmir was a bit taken back with this question, but the guard had prepared him that the humans would probably mention this bit of false information so he knew how to answer the young human.

"I myself have never seen the Lady, but I have heard from others who have that her beauty surpasses all in Middle Earth. As for being a witch that I know she is not. She and Lord Celeborn rule Lothlórien with wisdom."

"They are what keep this forest alive. It is said that the Lady possesses a certain quality that keeps Lórien alive. It could be considered 'magic.' But hers is not an evil magic, I think hers came from Illùvatar himself. I am still considered young by Elven standards, but I have lived here long enough to know that it is the Lord and Lady that keep us going. You only have to worry if you bring evil into these woods yourself. You are always your own worst enemy, no matter how much anyone else despises you."

Estel fell silent again for a while until Aglarmir motioned for him to stop. He had been so lost in his own thoughts that he had not noticed the waning of the sun.

"We will camp in the trees for the night. Do not worry; Melian will be safe. There are hidden guards all around us."

"In the trees?!? What will keep me from falling out?!"

"Do not worry young Estel. We build our homes in the trees; they are called talens or flets. You and your mother shall stay with my brothers and me. There are walls on three sides to prevent any falls. And I am sure you will appreciate the food and bedding we have waiting for you," he said this last part with a grin. He had heard Estel's stomach rumbling earlier.


	10. Chapter 10

c. 10 First taste of Lembas

The rope ladder was very sturdy. Estel hardly noticed any movement in it as he ascended into the flet. Aglarmir went up ahead of Estel and Gilrean to inform his brothers that the party from Imladris had arrived. Balglin and Taurnil had been expecting their brother's return and welcomed him with open arms.

"Mae Govannen, brothers. Here are Estel Arathornion and his anme, Gilrean. I must go show the Rangers to their sleeping flets. I shall return shortly. Estel, Gilrean, make yourselves comfortable and we shall eat as soon as I return."

About an hour later, Aglarmir returned to find Estel soundly asleep. He lightly touched the human to wake him up. "Estel, it is time to eat. We still have a long ways to go tomorrow, you must keep up your strength."

Estel sat up from his bedroll slowly. For the first time in a month, he had been having the most wonderful sleep and dream to go along with it. He dreamed that he was back home in Imladris with his brothers and Ada. Oh, how he hoped Elladan and Elrohir were safe.

"Why the smile, little one?" Gilrean asked her son. "I was having a dream about home and Elladan and Elrohir and Ada. And that we were all together again. I miss them so much already."

"I know you do Estel, I do too, but you will see them again. Soon, you will be too busy to even remember to think about them. I'm sure they miss you very much as well. But now, let's see what the Elves have planned for us for supper, shall we?"

As Gilrean and Estel were talking Aglarmir and his brothers were setting the food out. There was wine, tea, lembas waybread and even some sweet treats for Estel. Taurnil poured the drinks; wine for Gilrean and tea for Estel. Balglin broke up the wafers and passed them out.

"Now Estel, eat this slowly, one wafer is enough to fill the stomach of a grown man for days. It is called lembas; we use it for long journeys to sustain our health and energy. My brothers and I thought it would be a fitting choice for this meal because we had heard you have never tasted it," Aglarmir stated.

"What is that leaf for?" Estel questioned. "This is a leaf from the great Mallorn. It keeps the lembas fresher longer."

"Oh, ok."

Estel was usually not one to say 'no' to food, but he didn't like the look of the waybread.

Slowly, he took a small bite and promptly began coughing so hard he thought his lungs would explode, but he tried to choke it down so that it would not seem rude to their hosts. He did not like the taste of honey and nuts and that was what the waybread was made out of. He tried to eat some more but his throat felt like it would close up at any moment if he took one more bite.

With a small tear in his eye, Estel looked up at Aglarmir. "I'm sorry. I tried, but I just don't like honey. You're not mad are you?"

Aglarmir and his brothers looked warily at each other. They had not been informed of Estel's one food dislike.

"No, of course we're not, Estel. Everyone has different tastes and some humans don't tolerate some Elven foods very well. Maybe one day you'll grow to like it. But you do need to eat something, here try one of these cakes. I promise there is no honey in them."

"Would you like to hear a story Estel? I think you may like this. You crossed over the river Silverlode coming into Lórien, yes?"

"I think that that was the name of it."

"Well, the other river that flows out of the forest on the Southern borders is called Nimrodel. It is named after a fair maiden.

_An Elven maid there was of old,_

_A shining star by day:_

_Her mantle white was hemmed with gold,_

_Her shoes of silver-grey._

_A star was bound upon her brows,_

_A light was on her hair_

_As sun upon the golden boughs_

_In Lórien the fair._

_Her hair was long, her limbs were white,_

_And fair she was and free;_

_And in the wind she went as light_

_As leaf of linden-tree._

_Beside the falls of Nimrodel,_

_By water clear and cool,_

_Her voice was as falling silver fell_

_Into the shining pool._

_Where now she wanders none can tell,_

_In sunlight or in shade;_

_For lost of yore was Nimrodel_

_And in the mountains strayed._

_The Elven-ship in haven grey_

_Beneath the mountain-lee_

_Awaited for her many a day_

_Beside the roaring sea._

_A wind by night in Northern lands_

_Arose, and loud it cried,_

_And drove the ship from Elven-strands_

_Across the streaming tide._

_When dawn came dim the land was lost,_

_The mountains sinking grey_

_Beyond the heaving waves that tossed_

_Their plumes of blinding spray._

_Amroth beheld the fading shore_

_Now low beyond the swell,_

_And cursed the faithless ship that bore_

_Him far from Nimrodel._

_Of old he was an Elven-king,_

_A lord of tree and glen,_

_When golden were the boughs in spring_

_In fair Lothlórien._

_From helm to sea they saw him leap,_

_As arrow from the string,_

_And dive into the water deep,_

_As mew upon the wind._

_The wind was in his flowing hair,_

_The foam about him shone;_

_After they saw him strong and fair_

_Go riding like a swan._

_But from the West came no word,_

_And on the Hither Shore_

_No tidings Elven-folk have heard_

_Of Amroth evermore._

The Elves dowsed the lights and made ready for bed. Estel had fallen asleep. If the Elves had known it, he was imagining the sea, which he had never seen. To Estel, Elvish poetry invoked so much imagery, he could almost picture fair Nimrodel waiting for her true love, dancing in his dreams.

*Estel Arathornion and his anme, Gilrean – Estel, son of Arathorn and his mother, Gilrean


	11. Chapter 11

C.11

The next morning, Estel woke up early. His body was telling him that it was time to wake up. Then, he realized that it was really his mother trying to shoo him out of his bed. "Estel, come on honey. Time to get up. Aglarmir and the others are eager to get an early start. They say we should reach the city by late afternoon."

Estel quickly descended the ladder; he had been so overcome with weariness and grief that he had almost forgotten about Melian. He ran to where the horses were being kept to see if she was okay. Estel began to brush her coat while she ate her breakfast out of a side-bag.

"Soon all of this will be a distant memory, my love. We are to reach the Golden City later today. I have a feeling that after this trip everything will be a lot different, if it isn't already. I miss Elladan and Elrohir. And I know you miss Asfolath."

He said this last part with a wink and a smile. He knew that Melian loved to roam the Elven countryside with her friend. Melian could sense that something was not quite right with the young human, so she tried in every possible way to cheer him up.

Estel was kicked out of his thoughts when Melian began gently licking his face, causing him to giggle until he was rolling on the ground from her caresses. Estel was very ticklish and Melian always took full advantage of it whenever she could. She knew he needed the laugh right now. It warmed her heart to see her young friend and master smiling again.

Estel could see Aglarmir descending the ladder, so he tried to regain some composure and get Melian ready for the day's ride. Aglarmir came over to him as he was putting the saddle on. "Good morning, nenth min. We are all very happy to hear you laughing. I take it Melian had something to do with that?"

"Yes, she enjoys torturing me by tickling me with her tongue."

At this, Aglarmir and the other Elves laughed. "You have a way with the animals. Lord Elrond has taught you well. Always remember that as long as you are friendly to them, they will be the same to you. Never lose sight of that love for Eru's creatures, they may save you one day."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As they reached the city, Estel looked up in wonder. He had never seen such huge trees. As they continued on through the heart of the city, Estel noticed it growing darker until all that could be seen were the tiny lights that the Galadhrim used to illuminate the paths. They looked like tiny stars to Estel.

Aglarmir led the Rangers to the small stables where the horses would be kept. While they were preparing their horses for the night, a messenger came and spoke with Aglarmir. When all was ready to continue, he announced that the Lord and Lady were ready to see them.

The party slowly climbed the circular stair that led to the Royal Flet. At the top, Estel had to shield his eyes. It was so bright up here. Then, he looked in wonder as he realized the light was coming from the two figures coming down the dais.


	12. Chapter 12

c.12

Galadriel looked down at the Rangers. Her eyes penetrating their very hearts. Each moment was very brief, except for the young son of Arathorn. Estel was frightened at first, but quickly regained his composure when he felt Aglarmir's reassuring grip on his shoulder. Slowly, he lifted his eyes to meet Galadriel's.

"Your grief is heavy, Estel. Do not worry about the words that were spoken out of jealousy. You know in your heart that they are not true. One day, you will become a great leader, but there will be many things that happen that will shape what type of leader you will be. Learn their lessons well and do not forget them. Jealousy will drive a person mad. Do not let something blind you so much that you loose sight of the things that really matter."

Estel did not realize at the time that no one else had heard these words that Galadriel had spoken. They were meant solely for him.

"Welcome to the city of the Galadhrim. We hope that your accommodations will be fitting. The journey has been long and grievous, but now it has ended. Food and drink have been made ready. Go now and take your rest."

With that, the Lord and Lady dismissed them. But Celeborn pulled Estel and his mother aside.

"We are truly sorry to hear about the misfortunes that befell you on your way here. Know that you are safe now and have no further need to worry. Estel, you shall begin your training in a few weeks. The Warden has been away with a scouting party, but will be informed that you have arrived. We will also send word to Lord Elrond and his sons that you have arrived safe. Come, I will show you to your tents."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

To: The Lords Elrond, Glorfindel, Elladan, and Elrohir

Last Homely House

Imladris

20 July TA

From: Estel and Gilrean

Golden Wood of Lothlorien

We miss you all very much. Several of the Dunedain fell in battle with the orcs in the mountains. We lost Reneal to the River Ninglor. Lord Elrond, I need your help. Reneal attacked Estel. We have been unable to get much out of him, but I believe it was because Reneal was jealous of Estel. We must fight harder to conceal his lineage; I fear for him, even more so than normal. Like any parent, I wish for no harm to come to Estel. But this incident has opened my eyes to his greatest danger. I know it in my heart that he will never escape his doom, but I fear for him. I fear he will be hunted, probably the rest of his life. We have told him nothing of this, yet I fear he guesses that there's some of Numenor that runs true in him. I dread doing this but we need to tell the Rangers to join our cause and to tell no one about Aragorn. He does not yet know the power of his name, but once he does, all hope of safety will disappear. But I speak of things still far away in my mind's eye.

I have beheld your fair daughter Arwen; indeed, though he is still young, it will be hard to keep him away. I have been told that the Lord and Lady have spoken with all of the Elves and have commanded them to avoid the subject if he should bring it up. Indeed, I see that is both of their fates to be one day joined.

I must go now. Estel is longing to tell you of his adventures.

Give the twins and Glorfindel our love

Gilrean

Then added in Estel's scrawling handwriting was this message:

I am happy to have never traveled before now. There were so many interesting and new and scary things. The snow in the mountains was beautiful and if it hadn't been for it and the rain, I wouldn't have met my new friends.

In the cave we were staying in, there were two bears that I found while exploring. Then on our last trip to see them, they woke up: the momma and her cub. But I wasn't scared. The mother bear pulled me towards her and started cleaning me with her tounge! And then the cub and I wrestled, but we had to get moving. I miss my friends. I have included the poem I wrote for them. Please have Glorfindel put it in my book.

And we had a battle with the orcs that was awful. But we scared them away. Did you know that storms are louder in the mountains? I didn't like that.

Momma is shooing me to bed so Goodnite and I hope to see you again soon. I begin my training in a few days, so I won't have much time to write

Love Estel


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

To my dear Estel,

I am glad to hear you came to Lothlórien safely. Elladan and Elrohir returned from their hunts a few weeks ago.

They told me to say that they miss you very much. And if I may so, they were very impressed by your stories of the journey. No doubt that you have been impressed as well by various things.

Estel, please listen to the Warden's advice. He and his brothers were well trained by the guard of Lothlorien. Do not think you are better or worse than them just because you are different. The Elves of Lórien are proud, but they will remain your friends for as long as you live, so do not alienate yourself from them by causing the Lord and Lady any grief. And do not mention the Warden's height! He is shorter than most Elves, so fair warning. Take no note of it and do not let them catch you staring.

Estel, I want to remind you of something. Your name means "hope." One day, you will be the hope of all men; but do not lose your own hope along the way. All men (and Elves) choose their own course. It is regrettable that Reneal chose the path he did. I am glad that nothing worse happened to you.

Enjoy your stay in Lórien, and please try to stay out of trouble. Be safe little hunter! We will be glad and of lighter hearts when you return a more skilled hunter than our brothers and to us.

Lord Elrond of Imladris and his household

Elrond put his pen back in the ink. Glorfindel was walking by as he let out a sigh. "My Lord, is anything the matter?"

"No, Glorfindel. I received a letter from Gilrean. She is worried about Estel's safety. I am too because it is getting harder and harder to hide this from him. He will have to face it one day, but that day seems to be getting closer faster than any of us are truly ready for."

Glorfindel could see lines appear on Elrond's face. "Reneal attacked him. Gilrean believes that was because of Reneal's jealousy of Estel. But, there is nothing that can be done about that. Estel said he was lost to the river."

Glorfindel could only nod because this news was such a shock. But he was relieved when Elrond smiled and said,

"On a lighter note, Estel has informed me that he is to start his training with our friend the Warden in a few days."

Glorfindel grinned. It would be fun hearing about the Warden's interactions with young Estel.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15 The Patience of a Tree

Estel met the Warden in a secluded glade just outside the City. "Mae Govannen, Estel. My name is Haldir and I have been charged with your training. It is a great honor to have been chosen for this. My brothers Rumil and Orophin will be helping at times."

Estel bowed low to the Warden. "I can't wait to learn how to shoot a bow and arrow. I have seen my brothers practice a lot so I know a little."

"I would not doubt it. The sons of Elrond have always been held in high regard in Lórien, as I am sure you will be one day."

Estel tried to stop the heat from rising to his face at the Warden's comment. Although, in his heart, he knew it to be true.

"We'll start the training light. No need to rush it, but Estel please pay close attention. Some things may not make sense at the moment, but they will later. The absolute first thing you must do is clear your mind. Do not think of anything else, but the task at hand." With that, he settled down next to a tree and motioned for Estel to do the same.

"I want you to close your eyes and just listen and feel the environment around you."

After a few moments, Estel peeped towards Haldir, afraid that he had fallen into a swoon. But the Warden noticed the slightest movement and reprimanded Estel.

"You must learn patience. The trees can teach us a lot of things if you only listen to the words that they tell you. They start out as a small seed but with their patience, their roots dig deep enough to find water and eventually the tops grow to reach the heavens. Let's try again. I will tell you when it is okay to open your eyes this time."

Estel slowly closed his eyes; this wasn't going how he had planned. Haldir told him to take in a deep breath and breathe in the atmosphere of the forest.

Gradually, Estel began to feel like he was one with the trees and the creatures of the wood. He felt like he had been melded into the trunk of the tree he was leaning against, that he was being stretched to his greatest point with his feet stuck to the ground and that his head was as light as a feather floating in the clouds.

When Haldir realized that the first part of the lesson had taken hold of Estel, he told him to open his eyes slowly.

"Now you may tell me what you really thought," Haldir said with a slight smirk.

Estel took a moment to gather himself. Then, he answered haltingly, "I felt like I was a part of the tree. And that it is only a small part of everything bigger."

Haldir nodded, but said nothing. The Lord and Lady had been right about the young human, he was very sharp. Maybe there was some hope that the blood of Numenor still ran true in this young Dunedain.

Haldir reached down and gave Estel his hand. "Let's go for a walk."

Estel had always loved to roam in the forests of Imladris, so he did not think twice about reaching up and taking the elf's hand. Estel felt as if the weight of the last few months had been taken off his shoulders just because he took the time to relax and enjoy his surroundings for more than a moment or two.

"Trees have the unique ability to bend with the wind. If you want to survive this life, you must be able to accept the changes life throws at you. This is a non-compromising position. If you fail to adapt to differences in the world, then there will be no hope that you would ever be able to achieve what you are destined for."

"Everything in nature serves a specific purpose. There is a circle of life that is held in delicate balance, everything feeds off each other and if that balance is disrupted, then all nature is thrown to chaos. Everything is always food for something bigger. This is why you must be careful around Eru's animals. The hunter can very easily become the hunted. You must never let your guard down for any reason."

"Trees are among the most patient things in Eru's creation. Some take hundreds of years to even start growing from the seed. Patience is a well-earned virtue among men. When you achieve patience, you can reach any goal, as long as you don't lose sight of it. And patience is one of the most important things when you begin hunting. You may have tracked an animal to its very home, but all of that effort is wasted if you are unable to wait for the opportune moment."

Haldir had heard Estel's stomach grumbling and told the young human, "I only have one more thing to show you today. Do you hear that?"

"Yes, it sounds like a river."

"You are correct, that is the Silverlode that you hear. Its waters run down from the mountains through Lórien to Anduin. All waters then flow to the sea. Lord Ulmo, one of the mightiest of the Valar is ruler over all the waters. They are his domain and they give him rumor of all that goes on in Middle Earth."

"Look at the waters. Always the current can be seen on the surface, but below that, the water is as calm as can be; steady and unchanging. The water does not concern itself with the time of Men or Elves. Time does not change for the River. Its course may change, but it will always lead to the sea."

"I have been informed that the duty has fallen upon me to reveal to you one of the most important things in an elf's life."


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Sorry it has taken me so long to update. I have been busy planning a wedding. Enjoy!

Chapter 16 To Kill an Elf

"I have been informed that the duty has fallen upon me to reveal to you one of the most important things in an elf's life." Haldir hesitated momentarily. By Eru, he was going to hurt Glorfindel and Lord Elrond for making him do this. After all that he had helped the Elven lords with and achieve in their glory days, they repay him by giving him the hardest job in Arda.

"Haldir, is everything okay?" Estel asked the Elf when he noticed his brows furrow together as if in deep thought.

"Yes, I am okay Estel. I just got lost in my thoughts. Your ada has allowed me a great privilege in trusting you to my skill and training. I have known both him and Glorfindel long before your parents were even born, or even your grandparents, but this is by far the hardest thing Lord Elrond has ever asked me to do."

With a heavy sigh, he motioned for Estel to sit beside him near the river.

"I don't know how much you have noticed while living in Imladris, but the gift that Illùvatar gave the Eldar is one of immortality. It is called a gift, but to some it is their curse. This means that we do not die, nor do we age, much like the river. And we can willingly give up this gift at any time and become 'mortal.'"

"There are a few ways that we can be "killed." Our hearts are the windows to our very being, so if it is damaged beyond repair, then it is possible to kill by causing us so much grief that it eats away at us until we no longer care to be counted among the living. This has happened so few times, that you can count them on one hand. But the most famous tale is that of Luthien and Beren. Luthien was an elf maid who fell in love with a mortal. She gave up her place in the Elvenhome to be with the one she loved. And she stayed by his side until he died. Slowly, her grief became so much that she too passed into legend and song."

For a brief moment, Haldir had an image run through his head that The Lay of Luthien would be repeated. Only this young human who sat beside him would steal the heart of Elrond's fair daughter. Haldir was well aware that on this trip, she was not to be mentioned at all to Estel, but one day their paths would cross. Shaking the vision from his head, Haldir continued.

"It is also possible for an elf to die in battle, but that is one of the rare things that will kill an elf, as there have no been any major battles in Middle Earth since the Second Age. Do you understand what this means?"

Estel had let his head drop as Haldir was talking. He knew perfectly well what this meant. As he spoke, he did not look the Elf in the eye, nor did he raise his head. Haldir was barely able to make out what Estel mumbled, "Yes, I do. It means that my brothers and ada and Glorfindel will live forever while I pass away to be little more than a fleeting moment in their memories."

"Estel, look at me," Haldir commanded. Estel looked up at the Elf, trying desperately to not the tears that were welling up in his eyes fall. "I am positive that your family and Glorfindel will always remember you, always. For as long as they do live, they will remember you. There is no way they would ever be able to forget you, even if they tried. Yes, the memories will grow dimmer and dimmer as the years pass, but they will never wholly forget. They can never forget."

"Has Lord Elrond discussed with you the significance of the sea?" Estel shook his head 'no', while still trying to stop the tears that threatened him. "Beyond the sea is our true home, Valinor. Middle Earth is just a temporary place for us. It is said that Eru created the Elves to "create" Arda and to make it beautiful and to teach the Second Born, Men, the ways of nature. Our time will end here, and probably soon. Once we leave, it will be up to Man to make certain that all of the beauty of Arda is cared for. When that time comes, we will travel to the harbors beyond the White Towers and sail to those who have gone before. I Aear cân ven na mar." This last part Haldir said sadly while looking to the West. He stood up slowly and pulled the young human to his feet.

"Come, let us finish our walk. We shall be late for the mid-day meal. Do not dwell on the unhappiness of what a relationship between men and elves must face. Just make the most of every moment you have with them and cherish them as long as you live. And pass those memories onto your children so that they can teach their children and so the Eldar will not be forgotten when the last has passed over the sea."

I Aear cân ven na mar The Sea calls us home


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: Thanks to Seron for this translation for this lovely song from Queen, "Living Forever"

Chapter 17 Who Wants to Live Forever?

Haldir was of much lighter heart now that, what he saw as the hardest part of his assignment was over. As they walked along, Estel caught snatches of a song Haldir was singing softly to himself.

"Law no lû ammen,

Law no sad ammen,

Man no nad hen sa câr elym,

A si ódaltha o men?

Man aníra cuiad an-uir?

An-uir no sir mín. . .

Ma dartha an-uir. . ."

"Haldir, what is that song you are singing? It is beautiful! I think it captures the Elves wonderfully, especially now that I know what time means to you.

'There's no time for us. There's no place for us. What is this thing that builds our dreams, it slips away from us. Who wants to live forever? Forever is our today… Who waits forever anyway?'

That describes how I'm feeling at the moment perfectly. I cannot believe how awful it would be to live forever while everything else gives up to time and becomes not even a memory."

Haldir was so impressed at the young human's ability to understand the Elven language that for

once, he lacked the words to say how proud he was feeling.

"It is a song that all Elves are taught when they are young and are learning about Elvenhome. The teachers feel it is a fitting way to describe what most elves go through when it is their time to leave these shores. An elf feels the sea calling to them, some choose to ignore it, but most cannot. There is a strong desire to be reunited with those who have gone before and to see the creator that it cannot be ignored. Many have already lived thousands of lives of men and feel they have lived forever. While the elves do not die or age as you do, we can still feel weary of these lands. Even when we journey over the sea, we do not die. But that is where we came from so many ages ago and our hearts long to be revived in the Undying Lands."

The group walked in companionable silence for a while until they reached the food tent where the guards ate. Haldir motioned for Estel to join him. "Please join me, I do not wish to eat alone. And also, I would like to tell you about some of the things that happened when your Ada, and the Lord Glorfindel were younger."

Estel noticed the slight twinkle in the Warden's eye, but thought nothing of it. For once, he would have ante up on his brothers….

A slight grin came to Estel's face as he remembered how they loved to torment the Lords of Imladris…

Then Haldir began his story…


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: I looked to see if there was any mention of Haldir's ancestry and there's not, so this is my version. 

Chapter 18 Meeting Glorfindel

"I was young when my parents were slain by the forces of Sauron. They were traveling back to Lindon from Doriath, where they been visiting friends when they were way laid by orcs on the road. When they did not return at the expected time, we all feared the worst. Those suspicions were confirmed when some of the Doriathian Elves found their discarded bodies in one of the orcs' hideouts that had long been in disuse."

"They were in the service of the High King Gil-Galad at the time, so I remained in his household. When I became of age, Elrond and the High King instructed me in the elvish arts of warfare and lore as well. I went on many a hunt with them."

"Then Sauron began to regain power and everything good in the world had to be put on hold. Gil-Galad decided it would be best if Elrond took some of the people to help protect Eriador. So, the Lord Elrond took leave of his friend and began traveling West. While I had spent time with Gil-Galad, my heart was not content to stay in Lindon, so I joined Elrond in his journey West and stayed with him in Imladris. Along this journey is when Glorfindel joined us. We found him in one of the mountain caves high in the passes.

Glorfindel was with a small band of hunters when Elrond's party stumbled upon them, seeking a refuge from the night. One of the scouts came to Glorfindel and told him that a company of travelers was headed to the cave. He could not tell if they were men, but informed his lord that they were advancing at a fairly fast pace. "Thank you."

He ordered his companions, "Loose your weapons, just in case, but do not fire an arrow nor unsheathe any sword until I give the command."

Glorfindel positioned his men at the back of the cave, while he himself sat near the front with arrow lightly notched in his bow.

---------------------------------------------

Elrond's party was getting weary. They had traveled through the mountains for almost an entire day without rest. A few of the company had gone ahead and came back to report that they had found a cave.

Elrond looked to the sky, "Ai, we must hurry. The sky is about to shed her tears." The Elves had long ago pulled the hoods of their cloaks over their heads when it began to get colder. They all took Elrond's advice to heart and spurred the horses to move faster.

They reached the cave just before the sky opened.

Elrond noticed a dark figure sitting in the entrance of the cave with arrow lightly notched. He was surprised when the being began to speak to them as if he had already known of them.

Glorfindel asked them in the common speech, "Who are you? And why have you braved these mountains?"

"We are just weary travelers who are eager to escape the weather and the night," Elrond replied. He made no mention yet of who he was as he had heard the distinguishable traits of an Elven voice in the stranger he was looking at. "Mae Govannen, friend. Did you think it so easy to hide that fact by changing the language in which you are speaking?"

"Nay, of course not. But we were unsure if you were men because of the hoods. That is the reason I chose to address you the way I did. We have become weary of wandering in the mountains hunting orcs. We have reason to be leery of strangers in these days. Our settlement was attacked by wild men and we have been on the move ever since. Yet you have not answered my question yet, who are you and where are you going?" While he was speaking, Glorfindel gradually put his bow down and motioned for his companions to do likewise.

Elrond reluctantly gave his name and the names of his companions. "We are traveling these passes because we have been under the service of the High King Ereinion and he has asked us to help protect the regions of Eriador from the shadow that lives in the East. I am called Elrond, Peredhil, son of Elwing and Eärendil."

-------------------------------------------------

Haldir was shaken from his memory by the sound of a bell tolling. "And with that, I saw a greater royalty revealed in Elrond than I had seen up to that point. When he made mention of his parents, he threw back his hood and made a gesture of remembrance."

Haldir stood up and cleared away his place. "I must go and rejoin my company until sundown. We will resume our lessons tomorrow morning in the same place we met today." He saw the look Estel was giving him and added, "And yes, I will continue to tell you more stories of the Lords of Imladris as long as you promise to pay close attention to everything my brothers and I are trying to teach you."

Haldir stuck out his hand in offering for Estel to shake it and make their deal a true promise. "Deal."

Estel watched as the blonde elf left the room and was left with a feeling of pride. He had a lot to think about until morning….


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

All that night, Estel was too excited to sleep, until finally his mother started swatting at him to try and make him go to bed. "Estel! You need to get some rest. Dawn will come earlier than you think."

"Fine, fine. I'll try to go to sleep. But I can't promise anything. It was so fascinating to hear how Ada and Glorfindel met. I've been caught between those two when things weren't always right, so I know how Haldir and the others must have been feeling. It's like being caught between two wizards- no one willing to give in." Estel shuddered and pulled his blankets in closer, as he lay awake on his bedroll.

Sleep did not come easily this night, but gradually Estel felt his eyes drop, though not of his own will. He was terribly excited as if he was going to a party the next day. Eventually, he did manage to sleep somewhat restfully. But before the dawn rose, he was up and ready to go. Quietly, he snuck out of the room so he wouldn't wake his mother.

Haldir found him sitting in one of the trees looking out across the Anduin valley. Estel made no movement or suggestion that he had acknowledged the elf's presence. "I did not know that the sons of Elrond- whether adopted or not—had grown wings and were able to climb to the very dizzying heights of a Mallorn."

Estel turned and looked at the elf whose head was peeking out through the branches. "I found this tree when I was roaming the forest while waiting for you to return so that we could begin my training. I found out that this tree has the best view of the river and I can look towards home from here. And I had to learn how to climb otherwise; my brothers would have never let me hear the end of it. But one day we were out fishing in one of the streams that flows out of the Bruinen and it began to rain, but we were down in one of the valley's bowls and were unable to escape the fast overflowing waters, so they basically threw me into the closest tree. After that, they taught me how to climb by myself. I like being above the leaves, somehow the air seems clearer up here. And trees are good hide-out places."

Estel grinned at Haldir and in an unspoken challenge, met the elf's eyes as if in gesture to see who could reach the bottom first. Before Haldir even realized it, Estel had shot past him and was already halfway down the tree. "You will have to move faster than that, Master Elf if you want to beat me!" Estel laughed as he shimmied down the tree. He stopped on one of the lower branches to wait for Haldir to catch up. He did not mean to show up his teacher, so he planned to let Haldir win.

The trees had also come as a merciful escape from his brothers' torment at times. He was the fastest climber in Imladris and everyone knew it. Once he was up in the tree, it was very difficult to get him to come down. Sometimes, he even stayed in his hidden refuge long enough for a meal to get cold. This worried his mother, but Elrond quieted some of her fears and told her to just let him play, for he would only be young once.

Estel waited patiently for the blonde haired elf to catch up. Haldir finally made it to where Estel was waiting. "You put the training of the guards of Lothlorien to shame with your speed. You truly have a gift; hold on to it for as long as you can. Trees can become places of refuge when you are hunting as well. If an animal should ever turn and catch your scent, run up the nearest tree as high as you can get. This will not stop some animals, but if you are faster than they are, it might." And with a grin, Haldir jumped gracefully from the tree.

After Estel had done the same, Haldir looked at him again in astonishment. "Again, I must say, I never knew that it was possible for men to grow wings. I have not been in the company of very many men, but Estel, you truly are a marvel to your race. Estel turned a shade of crimson at the elf's words and mumbled a polite "thank you."

"Shall we continue your lessons now?"


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20 The Birds

Haldir led Estel further down the forest path. "Again, I imagine that some of our exercises will seem a little out of place at the moment, but I hope you remember their lessons and use them. Most of these will help you in hunting, tracking or even life. They will help you survive if you ever find yourself away from help. Just as you can learn from the trees and the water, the animals can teach us many things."

While they were walking, they had come to a ring of trees that had an opening at the top. Haldir was hoping his friend would remember his appointment.

Suddenly, Estel heard an eagle or a hawk screech far above them and the sound scared him so bad, Haldir turned around when he jumped about a foot in the air. Haldir laughed, "It's okay Estel."

"Ai, there he is. Estel, this is Ramalintë," Haldir motioned at the bird that was now circling above them until he perched on one of the lower limbs right above Estel. When the bird had stopped, Estel noticed that it was an eagle, a very big eagle.

"His name means 'strong-heart' and he is one of the eagle protectors of the mountains. I am sure you have heard their cries as they circle the skies looking for food. The birds are given the extraordinary sense of sight so that they can see the smallest mouse running across the largest field. You have to train your eyes to be able to spot a deer running in the wild. But the other unique quality that a bird has is the ability to sit and just follow an animal with its eyes and then swoop down when the time is right. Right when they can take advantage of another animal putting its guard down."

Estel looked at the bird as he lighted on the ground. He had always been taught to revere all of the animals, whether of the sky, land or sea. Cautiously, he asked Haldir if it was okay to approach Ramalintë, to which Haldir agreed. He was amazed at the young human's complete lack of fear, or if it was there, he was able to push it aside. Very slowly, Estel made his way towards the bird, inching his way forward with his hand held out as his brothers had taught him. Ramalintë let Estel touch his silky feathers.

"Haldir, have you ever ridden an eagle? " Estel asked suddenly. "I would love to see the sky from so high."

Haldir stood there with his mouth open, this boy really did have no fear. When he regained his composure, Haldir answered, "No, I have not. But your Ada got to take a reluctant trip with Gwahir…"

"Lord Elrond had been up in the mountain passes with Glorfindel when they were attacked by trolls and some of their orc minions. The two had been out camping in the cool fall weather. Naturally, they were very much out numbered, but they fought and killed as many as they could. Somehow the orcs came between the two. Glorfindel was able to escape, and he managed to get close enough to the eagle's Eyre to ask them for their help. "My lords, a friend is down there. Please help him." And with that, Glorfindel passed out."

"The eagles had been watching the two elves fighting their foes and were greatly impressed, but now with the news that there was still one down there, the eagles decided to help. Gwahir called his two brothers to join him. Swiftly, they descended to where Elrond lay motionless. He had been knocked unconscious by the orcs. Gwahir swooped down and gently scooped up Elrond in his talons. Elrond was startled by the sudden movement as the eagles ascended back to the eeyries."

"Could you imagine being lifted off the ground like that? It absolutely terrified Elrond. The eagles laid him and Glorfindel in their nest and let them stay there until they were recovered from their injuries. Then the eagles took them back to the gates of Imladris."

"Why was Ada so terrified to ride with the eagle? I think it would be fascinating," Estel asked innocently enough.

Haldir replied with a laugh, "I guess even the Lords of Imladris have their secrets. He was terrified not because of the eagle itself. I am sure you have heard from him as well how much you should respect the animals. No, not because of that…"

Haldir wondered if he should really be telling Elrond's foster son about this. This was about a one second debate in his head. Of course he should give fuel for humiliating his friend, was he crazy? Haldir bent down and whispered in Estel's ear,

"This may shock you, but your Ada is afraid of heights."

Estel looked up at Haldir in surprise. This was definitely one thing that he had never known about his Ada. "If he is so afraid of heights, why do they always go up into the mountains? The mountains are the highest places I know of and he goes there all the time," Estel said this with a confused look on his face.

"I know, but to some there is a difference between being in the mountains, where it is not necessary to look down as opposed to a high cliff where they are forced to look down. From what I heard about this experience from Glorfindel was that your Ada got very sick when the Eagles lifted him up. Of course they came and rescued him and took care of him, but the dizzying height of the empty air took its toll on him. Now I am quite sure, especially after your tree-climbing demonstration, that you do not share this same fear. Am I correct in that assumption?"

"Of course you are! But I still can't believe that he is afraid of heights!" Both elf and human were grinning. Haldir finally had his revenge. He knew the sons of Elrond to be quite ruthless with their jokes on their father and hopefully Estel would not forget this little bit of information. Estel of course had lodged it into his memory to save for a boring, rainy day back in Imladris.

Suddenly, Estel asked Haldir a very brave question. "Haldir, if it is okay with Ramalintë, could I go for a ride on his back? I would love to see the Woods and the River from his perspective."

Haldir looked at Estel in shock; this was not part of the training. He did not really feel like telling Gilrean or Elrond if anything should happen to him. But he trusted the bird and went up to him and whispered in his ear what Estel had asked. The bird too looked at Estel in surprise but quickly gave Haldir his consent. Haldir helped Estel climb up onto his back. "Hold on tight Estel. Your mother will probably kill me for this anyway. But this will actually help in part of today's lesson. While you are up there, focus your eyes on the fields and see if you see anything distinct."

With that, Ramalintë took off. At first Estel held on tight, then as the eagle stopped climbing, he relaxed his grip a little. He was a little bit afraid, he had never been so high, but that eventually passed and he got brave enough to look down. When he did, the sights below him took his breath away. The valley and woods were absolutely stunning from above, even more so from the inside.

Ramalintë glided for a while above the field, and then gradually began his descent. About halfway to the ground, Estel realized that he could see animals moving the grass below him. He was beginning to understand that all creatures have their own unique ability: for the eagle it is their ability to see far below from the skies and the fish that are able to swim upstream to survive a long winter. The eagle landed softly beside where Haldir had been waiting.

"Well, what did you see?"

"I saw animals moving in the grass below us. I never knew that being above something gave you such a better view of what is really going on."

Haldir nodded. "Always be sure you keep your eyes. To lose them would be a disaster. You must keep them trained so that you notice the slightest movement to the right or left. This also goes along with training your ears to hear noise, no matter how small. The best advice that I can give you in that regard is to not look for the animal itself, but its outline or shape, and then you will be able to see them. But always remember the true secret to success in hunting is stealth. You may hear a sound or see a movement, but your patience in waiting may be wasted if you make a hasty movement. All of your movements must glide together so that you are not seen and can remain hidden until you are ready to show yourself to an enemy or animal." Estel took everything in greedily; he was always ready to learn.

"Ok, that is all for today. And you have deserved a small break, as I have been informed that I must go out on patrols for about a week or so. Then we will resume, ok?"

Estel nodded and headed back to his tent.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21 Fire is Life

When he was not out on patrols, Aglarmir kept Estel company. They were constantly seen together roaming around Lothlórien. The fall was often times the wettest season in Lórien and this year was no exception. And what had started out as a beautiful day, quickly turned sour. Aglarmir noticed that the clouds were growing, but did not want to spoil Estel's fun. Then as quickly as they had appeared, the clouds dumped their contents on the whole of the forest.

---------------

Gilrean was beginning to worry about her son and Aglarmir, especially since it had just started pouring rain. She went all around asking the Elves if they had seen the two. Every reply was the same, no; they had not been seen for some time.

Without knowing it, she was slowly approaching Galadriel's Garden. Gilrean was now soaked through and in even more dire straits because her son was nowhere to be found. She knew Aglarmir would protect him, but she also prayed that they were not too close to the river. Estel could swim okay, but she feared for him if he got into too deep water.

-----------------------

Aglarmir swiftly herded Estel under the nearest tree. He was trying to find the easiest way to the nearest shelter. The Elves built them underneath the trees for such situations. They were a lot like the flets that were higher up in the trees; only these were elevated platforms about a foot off the ground. And all of them had a few basic supplies for emergencies.

"Estel, we must find shelter. This storm looks as if it is going to last a while." Estel quietly nodded and took Aglarmir's hand. They soon found the shelter that Aglarmir was looking for. Aglarmir helped Estel climb up into the platform. There was some food, water, blankets and some wood for making a fire.

----------------------------------

Gilrean took a moment from her desperate search to look around at the awe-inspiring beauty that had suddenly engulfed her. Galadriel had been watching Gilrean as she approached and noticed the lines of worry on her face. Gilrean took in the beauty of the niphredl flowers that grew in abundance in the glade. As she continued to take it all in, she noticed an empty water bowl upon a pedestal. As she looked closer, she noticed that there was indeed water in the basin. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard a commanding voice behind her say, "Do not touch the water!" Gilrean turned to see the Lady Galadriel coming towards her. "Come, sit by me child," Galadriel asked her as she herself took a seat on one of the stone benches that circled the garden.

-----------------------------------------------

Aglarmir quietly showed Estel how to trim a fire, and then he explained, "Fire is life. No matter where you are, if you can get a spark to start a fire, then you can survive. Fire is used to boil the impurities out of water. Fire can give you heat when you are chilled. And most importantly, a signal fire can summon friends to your aid, though there is a downside to this aspect. Your campfire could also bring unwanted guests, so always try to have the least amount of smoke possible."

Aglarmir handed Estel a blanket and some bread. "Lay down and try to rest a little, we may have to stay here all night if this storm does not let up, but don't worry, we will have plenty of supplies."

Estel graciously accepted the blanket and food. He was tired and soaked through; he stripped down to his underclothes and wrapped himself up in the blanket. He was soon fast asleep.

-------------------------------------------

Galadriel took Gilrean by the hand. "You worry much about young Estel. I know what it is like to wonder about how a child is doing. Aglarmir will look after him. I imagine that they are safe in one of the many shelters that are built into the bases of some of the trees. I am sure that we will see them return in the morning, as this storm is not slowing down. I cannot tell you do not worry for that comes natural with a child such as Estel, but yet, I will say it to hopefully give you some comfort. He is in capable hands; so do not fear for him. I know also that you are concerned about his future. If it is meant to happen, then he will come to know of his great ancestry in due time. There is nothing that can be done to prevent that. It will be up to him to decide what to do with the information that is given to him. The wise cannot see all ends, but I can tell you that your son will live up to his namesake and be the restorer of hope for your people. I hope that this offers you some comfort. I will have one of my handmaidens take you back to your tent. Do not despair; you will live to see him do great things."

With this, she rose and called to one of the female attendants and asked her to take Gilrean back to her tent. "Try to rest, my child. You need to keep up your strength.

Gilrean rose and bowed to Galadriel. "Thank you my lady. Your words have offered some measure of comfort."

When she reached her tent, she dismissed the maid, but did not ready for sleep. Instead, she paced the room for some time. There was a great emptiness inside of her that could not be filled by words or kind deeds when her son was gone. Indeed, these were the times that she most missed Arathorn.

"Protect him. Watch over him and keep him safe. Your little hunter will meet you again one day."

Aglarmir kept watch over Estel while he slept for a while. He was unsure if Estel knew how the Elves slept, so he made sure the boy did not wake. All the while he regarded the sleeping form in front of him. For one so young, Estel had a hidden depth to him. Aglarmir had noticed this almost immediately, but said nothing to anyone in case his observations were untrue. When he sure that no harm would come to them because of the storm, he quietly slipped into a sleeping-waking dreamlike trance.

------------------------------

Gilrean actually managed to sleep somewhat peacefully, despite the fact her son was gone. But at the first sign of daybreak, she was wide-awake and just as frantic as she had been the night before. All of the Elves made sure not to get in her way. Aragorn had been separated from her before for longer periods of time than just one night, so she was unsure as to where this sudden feeling of loss was coming from. All she knew at the moment was how happy and relieved she would be to see Estel again.

-------------------------------------

Aglarmir was awoken sharply by a deep sensation about daybreak. They were being followed. Quickly the Elf woke up Estel and whispered to him to climb the tree as quickly and silently as possible. He had brought no weapon with him since they were so far from the borders, where the danger would have been the greatest.

Quickly looking around, Aglarmir spotted one of the more peculiar Elvish weapons. It was a small hwestarotsë or blowpipe. It included a small dart that had fumello Lorieno in the tip of the dart. It is a type of plant that is mixed up to make it easier to bring down an animal or captive without killing them. He also noticed an extra bow with a quiver. Aglarmir strapped on the quiver and took up the bow while putting the pipe into his pouch.

Aglarmir jumped down as softly as an elf can and began spying out from behind the trees. Within a few moments, he saw a tall figure that looked like a man walking towards where he was hidden. The Elf was wary to kill a man, especially one who looked so bedraggled. The man had made no notice of the elf, but was walking as if he had been drunk or in a stupor. Rather than kill him, Aglarmir decided it would be best to tranquilize him with the hwestarotsë. He withdrew the blowpipe and inserted the dart, then took a deep breath and prayed…

Aglarmir shot out the dart with a ferocious force. He watched as it hit the stranger in the arm. The man looked around for a moment before slumping to the ground beside a tree. Aglarmir quickly ran over to the now sleeping form. If he remembered correctly, the "poison" lasted several hours; he would need to get help to take the man before Galadriel as was commanded of all strangers found trespassing. When he reached the man, he was shocked to see that this man was wearing the same garb as the Rangers who had escorted Estel and Gilrean into Lórien.

Quickly he ran back to the tree where Estel was hiding and urged him to come down, they needed to get back to the city as fast as possible. "What happened Aglarmir?"

"There was a man following us, he was dressed as the Rangers that brought you here are. Did you lose any of your party on the way here?"

Estel looked up at the elf in surprise. Almost immediately, the memories of the river and Reneal's attack came flooding back to him. Aglarmir looked down at his companion when he did not answer and noticed the boy had turned very pale, as if all of the blood had rushed from his face.

"Yes…yes, we did. We lost several of the Rangers in a battle with the orcs in the mountains, but… No I can't talk of it…you will have to ask Galadriel or my mother…" and with that, he stopped talking and looked down at his feet the whole way back to the city. Aglarmir felt sorry for his small friend. Apparently something had gone horribly wrong on the way that he had been uninformed of.

Aglarmir at once returned his charge to his mother and bowed deep to Gilrean. "I am sorry m'lady if we caused you any distress last night. The storm took me off guard. But you will find that he is safe and all in one piece. I am sorry to be in such a rush, but I must get to the Lady Galadriel at once. There was a strange man following us this morning. I hit him with a tranquilizer dart, but need help to get him back to the city so that the Lord and Lady may judge him for trespassing. I desperately need to talk you once I return from my errand."

All of this he said rather breathlessly and when he had finished, he bowed again and ran off. Gilrean quickly took her son up in her arms and hugged the breath out of him. She put him down when she saw how distraught his eyes looked. "Estel what is it?"

"I….I…think it was Reneal that was following us."

Gilrean looked at him in shock. "You said that he hit his head against a rock and was carried downstream."

"I did, but Aglarmir said that he was dressed like the other Rangers. I did not see him, but I know this to be true. I felt all funny inside when Aglarmir told me about the clothes he was wearing." Gilrean noticed that Estel was becoming more and more upset and she quietly calmed him.

"Do not worry my little hunter, Aglarmir will make sure no harm comes to you and so will I." She dropped her head. Estel's explanation made her fears from last night make sense. She did not know how he had survived, but she would make sure he never came near her son again. Gilrean could tell that Estel was not tired, so she did not try to send him to bed, but warned him to stay close to their camp. Gilrean knew at once that she needed to be there when this man was brought before the Lord and Lady, so she quickly made her way to the Royal Flet.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

After what Aglarmir had told the Lord and Lady, Galadriel was sure to be expecting Gilrean to show up. And as if brought up by her thoughts, Gilrean suddenly appeared before the Lady. Before she even had a chance to speak, Galadriel told her something that made Gilrean's blood run cold.

"I understand now your fears for young Estel last night. Aglarmir has already informed me of the trespasser that he caught earlier this morning when he and Estel were away. I can see the intentions of people before they are spoken or made known to others by action. And I can see that this man's heart is very black towards you and your son. I take it that you believe him to be the same man that attacked Estel on the river?"

"Yes, m'lady. Estel was too distraught to even speak to Aglarmir on the way back and he seemed reluctant to tell me about what Aglarmir had told him." Galadriel nodded and motioned for Gilrean to take a seat.

"The scouts will be back with him in a short time. When he awakes, we will question him and then make sure that he cannot harm your son again. I understand that it will not put your mind at ease if he is allowed to remain free, but other than trespassing, we have no significant charges against him, therefore we cannot keep him as a prisoner."

Gilrean's head slumped a little, but she understood the truth in Galadriel's words.

-----------------------

A short time later, the elves returned with the man in tow. Gilrean gasped when she caught sight of him. It was Reneal and she had every intention of giving him a piece of her mind. She still found it hard to comprehend that this man whom she had known most of her life would betray her trust by trying to kill her son. When he awoke, he found her standing over him. Reneal's head was still swimming from the mixture in the dart.

-----

After he had been knocked unconscious from the rock, he had floated far downstream and eventually ended up washed up on the shore. Once he had gained his bearings, Reneal had immediately set out for Lórien to try and make amends with Estel and his mother. He had no idea how he would do this as he was sure that Estel had told his mother everything that he had said, that he now desperately wished he could take back.

-----

Gilrean backed away from him when he tried to sit up. "Gilrean, I'm…" She silenced him. "I do not care to hear whatever apologies you may have come up with. All I know is what very little Estel told me from what happened that day on the river and no apology can make up for your complete abuse of my trust in you to take care of my son. And the one thing I am absolutely sure of is that you are to never come near me or Estel ever again, is this clear?"

Reneal nodded his head and let it drop against his chest. He really had no logical explanation for his behavior that day. Gilrean and Arathorn had always treated him as one of their own family and he had betrayed that fragile bond by his own jealousy and ambition.

Galadriel and Celeborn watched the exchange with interest. "You have heard the lady's pronouncement, now it is time for ours. We do not tolerate trespassers in our realm; especially ones who tried to murder an heir to our kin. We will provide you lodging for the night and some food, but you must be gone by break of day and stay away from Gilrean and Estel tonight. A guard will show you to the border at that time. And I would hope that you are wise enough to travel south instead of back to your home in the north. I am sure that the Dunedain will not appreciate hearing from Lord Elrond about your actions. This is all we have to say in the matter."

Gilrean had quietly slipped away while Celeborn had been talking to Reneal; she had no desire to look anymore upon that man's face. When she reached their tent, she found Estel curled up on his bed. She went over to him to find that he was awake and had been crying.

"It is okay now. The Lord and Lady have taken care of him. No harm will come to us. Estel, I have the feeling that you did not tell me everything that was said between you and Reneal that day. I do not wish for you to keep secrets from me, but I know that we have both had a trying day, so I will not press this issue any further until you are ready. But I do hope that one day you will tell me." She smiled down at her son. "How about we go find a hot meal?"

Estel nodded his head vigorously when he heard his stomach rumble. Gilrean took him by the hand and led him to the food tent. "Have you checked on Melian lately?"

"No, I have not had the chance. I think I may take her for a ride later. Would that be okay? I mean, if Aglarmir came with me?"

"Of course it will be. I love you Estel, always remember that. And always remember that I will be here to help you and to listen when you need it."

"I know. And I love you too."


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23 Balance is Key

A/N: I blame this on my other passion, gymnastics. 

No one ever heard what became of Reneal after he was shown to the borders. Most assumed that he took the advice of Celeborn and disappeared in the south.

--------

Rumil and Orophin met Estel in the glade a few days later. "Mae Govannen, Estel. As you may notice Haldir is still away on the patrols, they ended up having to go further from the borders than was intended. So Orophin and I will take over your training until he returns. We have given it much thought and we will begin the sword part of your training first."

They led him over to a smoothed out log. "The most important part of fighting with a sword is balance and control of your feet. Once you get this control, the next part is to keep your feet moving at all times, in doing this, you give yourself the upper hand by making your opponent guess your next move."

Rumil then told Estel to stand on the log. "Now walk from one end to the other, but do not look at your feet, if you fall, you start over again." Estel managed to get halfway the first time before he lost his balance. "You continue to start over until you can make it all the way," Orophin said.

Though they were trying to be tough on him, the two Elves were already impressed with the young human's abilities. After several more falls, he finally made it all the way across the log without falling off. "Before you get down, turn around and come back this way." Estel looked down at the elf like he was crazy. "Just trust me. It will be okay."

On his first attempt, Estel tried to turn his feet too fast and immediately fell off of the log. Even when he slowed down, he still fell. Rumil could tell that he was getting frustrated so he gave him a little bit of help. "Try shifting your upper body weight the direction you want to turn BEFORE you move your feet. This will help you keep your balance better. And also remember to keep your eyes straight ahead." Estel was starting to see the logic in that approach, so he tried it and accomplished it on the first try. Rumil and Orophin applauded him.

"Now walk back to this end, turn around, and walk back again." Estel fell off again a few times in-between before he finally managed to finish the task. The Elves helped him down from the log and sat down beside him in the grass.

"You continue to amaze us, nenth min. You almost have Elven reflexes. Granted, we do not come in contact with very many humans, you have surpassed any hidden expectations we may have had and we congratulate you." Estel blushed a shade of crimson before Orophin interrupted his brother.

"Okay, that's enough of that, we don't want his head to get too big now, do we brother?" Orophin asked Rumil with a slight twinkle in his eye. "Nay, I fear that would make him unbearable to be around. But seriously, Estel, balance is an important ingredient to life as well as swordplay. Your head and your heart must balance each other out when you make decisions and if you are to ever get involved in a fight with man, elf or beast."


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24 A Game of Cat and Mouse

After a short break, the Elves motioned for Estel to stand back up on the log. Then they too climbed up on the log, one elf on each side of Estel. "We have a feeling that you will enjoy this next exercise. It is actually part of a game that young elves play. The point of this game is to get around your opponents without falling off. But if you fall off, you are out, last one standing wins."

Estel grinned. This would be fun; at last, if he accomplished this, he would have something that he could possibly challenge his brothers at. "Sounds easy enough."

Rumil started off by counting down from 5. Estel had been sizing up the brothers and decided to try to get around Orophin first, all the while Rumil was trying to get around him. Estel lasted longer than the brothers thought he would, but soon fell off. His sense of balance was a bit thrown off by being sandwiched between the two elves.

Estel took a spot on the grass and watched as the two brothers duked it out. After a while longer, his brother swiftly knocked Rumil off the log. Orophin jumped up in the air on the log and grinned down at the two sitting in the grass and softly jumped down to join them.

"That was fun! I want to play again!" Estel quickly exclaimed after the duel was over. The Elves exchanged hidden smiles, of course he did, so the trio jumped back up on the log and began the game again.

---

Back in the City, the Elves and Rangers were amazed to hear the sweet sound of Estel's high-pitched laughter mixed in with the deeper tones of the two elves. Aglarmir had been talking with Gilrean and grinned down at her. It was a comfort to them both to hear that sound.

--

They played a few more rounds and then finally even the Elves were getting tired because they were always ending up playing each other.

Estel begged with them to play just one more, he could feel that this one would be the one that would be his for the taking. Almost as soon as Rumil finished the countdown, Estel took a headstrong position and turned immediately to face Rumil. Then in one swift movement, he weaseled around the elf. Rumil was so shocked that when he spun around to face Estel, he lost his balance and fell to the ground. Estel grinned. He was finally getting the hang of it. Orophin looked down at his brother in amazement, they had never heard of a human beating an elf at a game of balance, and he wasn't about to let this day be the first. He squatted down so that he and Estel were eye to eye.

"Le orthúriel mhuindor nín. Le thalion ingi orthorthach Im nenth min. I am reigning champion in these woods. I will not let you rob me of that title." The whole time Orophin was grinning at them both. Neither of them had ever imagined that they would have so much fun in training a young Ranger. "You will have to catch me first nauco."

And with that, he quickly turned and hightailed down the log, forcing the elf to chase him knowing that his taunt would get the Elf riled up quickly. Orophin chased Estel up and down the log, amazed that the young boy was not running out of breath. It was all part of Estel's plan to get the elf "tired" so he would be easy to knock off. After a few minutes of doing this, Estel abruptly stopped, causing Orophin to run into him. Estel had prepared himself for the shock, but Orophin was unable to keep his balance and fell right on top of where Rumil was sitting. Grinning, Estel turned a cartwheel and jumped down from the log and joined the brothers on the grass. He didn't want to admit it, but he was now very exhausted.

Le orthúriel mhuindor nín. Le thalion ingi orthorthach Im nenth min = you conquered my brother. You [are] brave to suppose you will conquer me little one.

Nauco- dwarf


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25 The Surprise

For the next few weeks, they played this game at least once a day. And everyday Estel got better and better. He didn't win every game, but he did beat the majority of the elves who tried to challenge him. He was able to have this playtime because Rumil and Orophin had been called out on patrols.

Then, one day, Estel got the biggest surprise of his life. One of the Royal Messengers came to him and Gilrean and said that the Lady Galadriel wanted them to have luncheon with her. As they were making their way up to the Royal Flet, a blonde-haired Elf met them on the stairs and refused to move.

Then a deep voice spoke from under the hood and said, "I hope that my brothers have been treating you well." As he threw back the hood, Estel ran to greet him. Haldir had finally returned.

The elf took Gilrean by the arm, "May I escort you?"

"Why, of course."

Turning to Estel, Haldir told him that he had received his brother's letters telling him of his progress. "You have surpassed whatever expectations we may have had, Estel. With your mother's permission, we are going to start intensifying your training."

Gilrean had a slight idea what this was really about, but she said nothing to Estel of her inkling. A handmaiden met them at the top, "The Lord and Lady are expecting you. This way please." They were taken to a small room and seated at a long table. Estel looked at his mother with a funny expression when Haldir was seated too. "It's okay. He's here to discuss how well your training is going."

A few moments later, Galadriel and Celeborn were seated as well and the food was brought out. After the meal, Haldir stood up and asked Estel to join him. He walked over to a small table and picked up an object that was wrapped in cloth. "Estel, please kneel. You have been taught to ride. Now you will be taught how to wield a sword so that you will become one that all will fear and respect."

By now, Estel was very confused, but relaxed a little when he noticed the twinkle in Haldir's eye. "You have advanced far in your training in a short while. I have spoken to your mother and her and the Lady Galadriel have agreed that it is time for you to have your own sword."

Haldir slowly unwrapped the clothed object and Estel was surprised to see a short sword made in the style of the Ranger's swords. The pommel was wrapped in blue leather with the sun, moon and stars engraved into the cross part of the hilt. The blade itself had a deep groove down the middle and around it was the following inscription written in the Elven Rune system:

Bell edonnen

_Ion mhedui Erain_

_Tegi hon onnen_

_Estel e-Ndunedain_

_Strong he was born_

_Last son of Kings_

_To lead he was born_

_Hope of the Dunedain. _

Haldir knelt before Estel. "I apologize for being gone so long. I had to journey to Rivendell to ask of Lord Elrond that the smiths fashion you your own sword as we could tell you were ready to learn the art. Your weapon is your life. Keep it close, keep it safe."

He handed the blade to Estel as he helped him stand up. He gazed at the sword in wonder, he had never seen anything so beautiful and it was all his. Estel asked what the runes meant as he had only been taught the Elven script so far. Galadriel told him that that would be revealed to him when they deemed the time was right.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26—First Lessons

Haldir allowed Estel some time at the beginning of each day to just play with his sword so that he would get accustomed to it more quickly. "The first and most important thing that you need to learn in handling a sword is being used to drawing it from the scabbard quickly without hurting yourself. And you need to name your blade. The name of a sword is used to strike fear and terror into the hearts of your enemies once it is widely known and revered as being wielded by a master. We will give you time to think about that."

"But back to my main point, for obvious reasons, we will begin with a practice sword. Put this in your scabbard and try to draw it." The elves always gave him a few tries of doing everything his own way before they would even offer help. They did this to see what the young human already knew or had observed about a particular technique.

Estel did as he was told, but was not paying attention to what he was doing and hit his hand on the wooden blade. "OW!" "That is why we are practicing with this sword, so that you will not permanently injure yourself or one of us. Now try it again, draw the blade a little more slowly this time."

Estel let his left hand hang down at his side, while his right held the sword hilt. The next time he tried, his right hand hit the scabbard and the sword fell to the ground. Embarrassed, he bent down and resheathed the sword. This time he held the scabbard steady with his left hand as he reached for the sword with his right. He was able to draw the sword with more control that time, but Haldir came up behind him and put his hand on Estel's to guide his movements.

"You did good in figuring out that you have to hold the scabbard when you draw the sword, and your technique is okay, but when you draw your sword you want to be able to fight with it as soon as the tip is unsheathed. This means you have to have a good balance with your hand on the sword hilt. Whenever you hold the scabbard steady with your left hand, make it an automatic movement to wrap your fingers tightly around the hilt. You keep the blade steady by lightly placing your thumb under the pommel."

While Haldir was talking, he was demonstrating all of this to Estel. "Loosen your fingers just a little bit, if they are too tight, your hand will be shattered with the force of the first blow. Good, now you try it by yourself," Haldir said this as he slowly backed away so that he would not be struck, though it was a "toy" sword, it would still hurt if he got hit with it.

A little while later, Estel was able to unsheathe his sword and take a quick downward stroke at an invisible opponent. "That is very good Estel. I think you may have already realized this, but as we get further and further into these lessons, they will begin to get harder. Now we will practice the art of putting the sword back into the scabbard."

"I know this may all seem simple to you, but these two things are the most important in sword-fighting because they are the two things that can cause you the most injury if done improperly. As with drawing the sword, you need to hold the scabbard steady, but instead of holding it so close to the opening, move your hand down just slightly so that when you resheathe the blade, you won't cut yourself."

Estel did as he was told, but did not have a good grip on the hilt and missed the scabbard completely, stabbing himself in the leg. "Keep trying. It really is not all that difficult, but once you get this we will add it to the first part. After you withdraw the blade and are ready to put it back in the scabbard, loosen your grip just a little bit and rotate your wrist so your hand is palm-down to the ground. This will help you keep better control of the sword."

After a few more practice tries, he was able to resheathe the sword. "Now we will go through the whole sequence again and then once you have that, we will start over and replace the wooden sword with your real blade. So put the sword back in your scabbard, withdraw it, make a few cuts, and then replace it."

Within a few hours, Estel had the whole sequence down with the wooden sword. Haldir could tell that he was getting tired because they had practiced all day, so he gave him the rest of the day off.

-----------------

The next morning, Estel was ready to start his "real" training with the steel sword.

Haldir warned him to take it slow, the last thing he needed was Gilrean having his hide because her son had gotten hurt during his training. There were a few times throughout the day that Haldir thought his heart was going to explode from the stress of seeing Estel hurt himself. All of the scraps were minor so they were no real cause for concern.

Haldir still wanted to take it slow, so he and Estel worked out a small system that they would only practice for a short while in the morning and then take a break until the next day. Everyday Estel got better and better at the arts of sheathing and unsheathing the sword.

This went on for several weeks. Haldir was also teaching him the arts of patience, persistence and perfection. The elves wanted to make sure that the young human had it "perfectly" before continuing on to harder tasks. They all knew that he would eventually leave the shelter of Imladris one day and he would need to know these things to survive on his own.

Eventually, Haldir felt that it was time to move on. And about this time, Rumil and Orophin finally returned from their hunts.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27—The Dragon Slayer

All of the Elves were amazed at how much like a warrior the young human was already beginning to look. There was some "magic" instilled into his small sword by the elves. Whenever he wore it, he almost always had a calmer demeanor. Gilrean was amazed at the seeming change in her son. It made her happy and sad all at the same time. She was thrilled to see her son finally taking on the responsibilities that he needed to learn. But yet, she was sad to see the changes in him that were making him seem more grown up than he really was.

------------

At their next meeting, Estel greeted Rumil and Orophin warmly. He had heard that they had returned but had not seen them. Haldir smiled at the interaction. They had all grown close to Estel in the short time that he had been in Lórien. Haldir thought to himself, probably too close at times, but it was beneficial to them all.

Haldir told Estel to sit down. "Today is going to be a fairly easy day for all of us. There is a story of a very well known dragon slayer. We use his story to demonstrate one of the best ways to kill an animal that is above you and in very rare circumstances, any other opponent."

"There was a man named Haladin who lived at the beginning of the second age. He was of the Dunedain. Haladin was a member of the King's guard in a small village. The Dunedain had been wary of building their lives so near the mountain, but that was quickly overcome. At first, they lived in fear because this was the time when dragons were plentiful and attacked often. During this time, many men were slain while they only managed to slay a small number of the dragons."

"Then, one night, in this tiny village came the sweet sound of a harp. The people were amazed when they went outside, for up in the air was the most beautiful dragon any of them had ever seen. This dragon did not look as fearful as most, for it did not spout fire. This dragon was of a rare breed that used beauty and music to subdue its prey. Its wings looked to be made of silver and gold, but what amazed the people was the beautiful music coming from its wings. The dragon had lighted on the top of the King's house and was softly rubbing its wings together."

"Haladin was swiftly awakened by a knocking on his door. A messenger informed him that all members of the guard were to at once report to the War Room. Haladin quickly thanked the messenger and got dressed. He was amazed when he stepped outside and saw the dragon for the first time. He quickly sized up the situation based on stories he had heard and on his way to the meeting, tried to get the people back into their homes. He told them to cover their ears as well."

"At the meeting, the plan was to find a way to destroy the creature. They all knew that the hide of the dragon was far too thick to be pierced by any weapon. This council went on long into the night. By morning, they were all shocked when they finally dismissed. The entire village was in ruins and the majority of the people were dead or gravely injured. The dragon had smashed the homes and had lulled the people so that it could do its damage. The biggest surprise was that the dragon was still on the outskirts of the town. At that time, it was decided that all of the able-body men who were left would chase the dragon back into the mountains and then make some kind of attack to seek revenge."

"All of the Guard advised against the King joining them on this mission, but he refused to listen to their pleas. Why should he be the only one standing of his people if the worst should happen? A little while later, the hunting party was ready to leave. They planned to use a diversion to draw the dragon away from the village. While half of the men would be following behind, the rest would be leading the dragon on a wild goose chase. If the plan went right, they would then one by one, fall back and rejoin the rest of the men."

"This type of dragon was called **Leucanandië** by the Noldor of Eregion; by the elves of Rhovannion and Lórien **Talagand**; men simply called it 'the Harpy'. Very few had ever actually been seen, they were generally things out of legends. It was said that the majority of their kind had passed on, though a few still roamed Arda."

"The plan worked for a while, then the dragon "got smart" and started attacking the men in front of him. A few managed to make it back to where everyone else was, but this number was not very high. The dragon then continued on its trek home. The Dunedain were becoming weary, but were unwilling to let down their guard or let the dragon get too far ahead."

"They then decided to try and encircle the dragon. This did not work either due to the thickness of the trees, but as soon as the dragon saw any of them, he began smashing up the trees, killing many of the Dunedain in the process."

"The Dunedain tried many different tactics and none of them seemed to work. And along the way many more Dunedain were lost until there were only a few left. They quickly realized that the King was among the dead and decided that their best plan would be to just follow the dragon until it stopped."

"And it finally did. The dragon quickly found his cave high up in the mountains. All of the work of destroying the village had tired him out so he forgot to seal his cave as he usually did. The Dunedain took advantage of this and snuck into the cave and hid behind the dragon's treasure. The dragon awoke during the night. It had been so worn out that it did not at first notice the new smell of intruders, but the smell had quickly overpowered its nostrils. He crept up to where many of the Dunedain were sleep and began his spell again. No one trespassed into his cave and got away with it."

"Haladin awoke to the sound of his compatriots screaming. He was suddenly grateful for his desire to be alone. Though, he felt sorry for their plight, there was nothing he could do without being eaten as well. So he quickly hid behind some of the taller stacks of treasure and tried to formulate a plan. And he had one. He decided that once the dragon had had its fill, it would be tired and lethargic and that would be his opportune moment to attack. He watched as the dragon suddenly flew to a perch carved into the mountain wall. He saw this as his chance, it was now or never."

"He quickly ran out to the center of the cavern and called out to the dragon, "Hey! You forgot me! Come and get the sweetest piece of flesh ever tasted." Haladin quickly prayed that he wasn't just giving up his life rashly. The dragon did not understand his words, but he was surprised that he had missed one of the humans. He quickly flew down from his perch and began to chase Haladin around the cavern."  
"Now, Estel, this is the important part for you to learn. Haladin quickly stopped in his tracks, braced himself against the wall, dug his feet sharply into the ground and thrust his blade up above him as swift and hard as possible. Now any normal blade would not be strong enough to pierce the hide of a dragon so strong, but Haladin's blade was special. It had been made and blessed by the Elven smiths of Eregion, so it quickly dug deep into the dragon's flesh. Haladin quickly removed it and ran to get out from under the dragon. He was almost out of the cave when he heard the giant crash that came when the dragon fell to its death."

"Thus, by slaying one of the deadliest dragons in all of Arda, Haladin won great renown and then ever after followed a wanderer's life."

Estel finally had the perfect name for his small blade.

Estel had told Haldir a few days later that he finally had a name for his sword. Haldir stopped him from saying anymore. "Do not tell anyone its name yet. To an elf, it is improper to say the name of a blade before it has been blessed. I will inform Lord Celeborn and let you know when the ceremony will be performed."

---------

"Lord Celeborn, my Lady." Haldir bowed to them. "Estel has informed me that he has named the blade that was given to him."

Celeborn nodded, "We assumed this would happen soon, so we took the liberty of informing Lord Elrond. He and the twins are already on their way here for the ceremony. It will be hard for him, but it will quickly teach Estel patience. Tell him that it will take about two weeks to prepare for the ceremony."

"Yes, my Lord, I will inform him."

--------two weeks later-------

Haldir's company was to meet the lords of Imladris on the border and sneak them in. It was a risky plan, but they believed it would work.

"My Lord Elrond, welcome back. It is a cheerful meeting indeed. Estel has no idea what the ceremony entails and our arrival is completely unknown. It was hard to keep such a secret, but it was not impossible."

Haldir quickly sized up the twin sons of Elrond who were riding beside their father and very swiftly remembered much of the torment he had received from these two and likewise helped bestow on Elrond.

"Elladan, Elrohir, pleasure to see you both again. We must catch up sometime. Elrond, how long will you be staying?"

"We are here on holiday so as long as it takes for Estel to finish his training, which I hear is coming along nicely."

"Yes, it is. He truly is extraordinary. We are very slowly learning that all our pre-conceived notions are being tossed to the winds. I know it will be a joy to him that you have come."

---------

"Estel, be still! The ceremony is in a few hours and you are nowhere near being ready. Get in the bath now or I will keep you here tied up so that you miss your own ceremony. In fact, I shall go inform Lady Galadriel immediately."

This scared Estel enough that he quickly did as he was told. He had had so much energy all week that it was beginning to get worse as the hour got closer.

----------

At the courtyard, all of the elves were already waiting. Today was a day of celebration. Most had never seen Lord Elrond or his sons except from a distance. But what they had heard had been enough information to recognize them when they rode into the city. Haldir took them to the Royal Flet and led them to their rooms so that they could change and get ready for the ceremony.

Before the ritual started, Galadriel came to visit her family. It had been a long while since she had seen her grandsons and far longer since she had seen her son-in-law. Galadriel missed Celebrian most at times like this, as did Elrond. They both missed seeing her at his side.

"Celeborn and I will be up at the front when it is announced for young Estel to pronounce the name you may come out. We will then bless the blade together. You have Vilya?"

"Yes, I have the ring. I cannot wait to see him again. As much as I don't miss the trouble he causes, I miss his spirit terribly. Anyways, shall we get started?"

Celeborn came and escorted the Lady out. The twins were just as excited as everyone else. They had missed their alone times with their foster brother.

-----

Estel and Gilrean came out and were taken to their places. None of the Elves had ever seen him so dressed up or well behaved. They walked slowly down the walkway towards where Galadriel and Celeborn waited for them.

Estel seated his mother in a seat on the front row and then proceeded to calmly walk to the stone table where the Lord and Lady were waiting. He walked as slowly and deliberately as he could, but the waiting was tearing him up inside he was so excited.

"Remove your blade from its scabbard and place it on the table." Estel did as he was told and thought he caught a movement from behind the tent curtain that was to the side of Celeborn. "Estel Dunedainion, it is a joyous occasion that we are able to take part in this celebration of becoming a man with you. As you well know, a sword is as dear to a Ranger's life as the very breath that is taken. You also know that it is important what you name your sword. Not only will it define you to other people, but you will define its power by this name."

This was Elrond and the twins' cue to exit from their hiding place. All of the Elves bowed before the Lord of Imladris. Estel and his mother were both equally surprised to see their foster family. Elladan and Elrohir took a seat next to Gilrean as Elrond joined Celeborn and Galadriel.

"Now you may pronounce its name. We hope that it is one that will win great renown and will do justice to the person wielding it." Estel took a deep breath and told his tale. "Haldir told me the story of Haladin the great Dragon Slayer. I choose to name my sword after the dragon. Such a thing of beauty and destruction all at once is power to me." He picked up his sword again and held it in the air as he named it **Leucanandië. **

The three elves took their turns in blessing the blade. "I bless this sword with the power of the air that is given to me as a ring-bearer." "And I, bless this sword with the power of water that is given to me as a ring-bearer. Bless this sword with the power of the elements that they may always be in its favor." Estel then picked up the sword and resheathed it. Then, the whole assembly was dismissed for the celebratory dinner to follow.

Estel and Gilrean took a moment to talk to Elrond and his sons. None of them were surprised when Estel gave the three elves hugs. He had missed them deeply and was overjoyed to see them again. "I did not know you were coming. Thank you so much for being here." "You have named your blade well. I hope it lives up to its namesake. Come, let us join the feast. We have much to discuss later on after the festivities."

**Leucanandië** "Harping Dragon"


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Estel and the twins stayed up until the wee hours of the morning playing catch up. None of the trio had had very much free time lately, so the letters had been few and far between. Elladan and Elrohir were very grateful that their father had decided to let them come along with him to Lothlorien. They had not seen Galadriel for sometime and would have been very put out to miss Estel's ceremony, and they had told Elrond as much.

"I do wish that Glorfindel had been able to come as well, but I know someone had to stay behind to be sure everything was kept proper. You will not believe some of the stories that I have heard from Haldir and his brothers. Haldir had told me how he traveled with Ada and when they met Glorfindel. His description gave me the chills. You know how they get so intense when they're mad or upset? They started off that way. But then somehow they convinced Glorfindel to join them. But I think the best thing that Haldir told me was that Ada is afraid of heights."

Elladan and Elrohir looked at each other in shock. "Well Estel has managed to find out something we didn't know. I say we use it to our advantage." Elrohir grinned. Maybe having a little brother wasn't such a bad thing.

"There's not much to tell from Imladris. Much of the time you have been away so have we. The orcs have become braver and have been roaming far too close to the borders for anyone's comfort. There have been no attacks inside the borders, but there are many who fear it won't be long. We had only returned for a few days before Ada announced that we were to come with him here. Apparently, he and Glorfindel had a long conversation if we would be missed too much on patrols. We eventually found out and had a long talk with Ada and finally they both agreed to let us come as well."

The next morning, Elladan and Elrohir joined Estel at his training. Haldir gave him back the wooden sword. "You know the drill. Today we will continue our technique training. You are coming along nicely, but maybe we will get more done, so you can show off for your brothers. And if they care to join you in training, they will be most welcome. I am sure the guards of Imladris would be very put out if you two came back soft." Haldir thought to himself, 'Unless they become more of a distraction.'

He was very sure that all three would benefit the others for the remainder of their visit. He had spoken with Elrond and was informed that as soon as Estel passed the tests, then they would all return to Imladris. He was very sad to hear this, but had a feeling he would be seeing more of the young human in the years to come.

"In practice it is easy to be perfect in your movements, but in a real combat situation, you will find that these movements may not be so perfect. But these exercises will help you get the general idea of them. The main thing to remember is to keep your movements fluid and able to flow into each other. This will help keep control of the sword as well as where the sword strikes. Try to hit this target as many times as you can alternating sides with each blow."

Estel took up his position and began the exercise. Occasionally Elladan and Elrohir would interject their comments on how to help him improve his form. Haldir was very impressed that they were maintaining some degree of professionalism. Finally, the end of the day came and everyone headed out to their homes.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29—The Hair Incident

Estel and his brothers had been talking late at night as was becoming their habit one night when the trio got a wonderful idea. "Elladan, have you noticed how stuck up Haldir has become? I think that we should humble him a little bit. What say you?" Estel and Elladan grinned. They were known for their pranks throughout the whole of Imladris, but here was a different story. Estel had actually been quite good, keeping them to a minimum on this trip when he was alone, but now that his brothers were here they could have some fun.

"Yes, I have noticed. It is rather annoying at times, isn't it? But I don't want Estel to get in trouble or be sent home before the training is finished," Elladan replied.

"Don't worry about me. I am strong enough to take care of myself," Estel retorted while sticking his tongue out at his brother. "That's mature. If you say so, but I still do not wish for you to bring trouble upon yourself."

Elrohir had been watching the exchange and spoke up. "Okay, you two that's enough. If you must know, I already have a plan and if it comes to it, I will take full responsibility."

Elladan and Estel leaned in closer to hear the plan.

---------a few days later-------------

Galadriel, Celeborn and Elrond were talking during tea when they were interrupted by a commotion at the door. They turned just in time to see Haldir storming into the room. He bowed respectfully to the three, and then spat out, "Elrond! Do you see what YOUR children have done to me?" Taking one look at Haldir, it was impossible to not see what damage had been done. It took all their will power to not laugh at the Marchwarden's now pink hair. Galadriel and Celeborn looked at each other in amusement as Elrond looked down covering his mouth with his hand. "It is not funny," Haldir said evenly.

Elrond cleared his throat and straightened his face before he attempted to speak, "No. It's not. How can you be sure that it was my children and not a joke from one of your patrol members?"

"Oh yes. I am quite sure. Who else would it be?" he ground out.

There was some more commotion at the door and two guards brought in the reluctant culprits. They walked slowly, eyes downcast but what the three elders saw was too much. Estel and Elrohir almost had the same color hair as Haldir. Their dark hair made it a little more conspicuous. Elladan seemed to still have his black locks.

"Oh dear," Galadriel gasped covering her mouth to stifle the laugh. Haldir looked at his Queen; he had never seen this amount of merriment in her eyes.

"I see what you mean," Elrond choked out. "Get over here now," he beckoned as sternly as he could to the trio. "Are you responsible for Haldir's…new look?" Haldir glared at Elrond as a chuckle escaped him. They slowly nodded their heads with eyes still unable to face their jury.

"And how did you two manage to get the same look?" Celeborn asked. "Elrohir and I had gotten some of the shampoo on us so we went to clean up after we put the bottle in Haldir's room. I think we mixed them."

"How many bottles did you make?" Galadriel asked incredulously.  
"Two," Estel answered at a barely audible pitch.  
"Who was the other one for?"

They were shocked at this question for fear of more punishment from the other intended target. Elladan stole a look at his father and quickly ducked his head back down. Suddenly this wasn't as funny to Elrond anymore, although Haldir started to chuckle. Elrond glared at him.

"I see," Galadriel said. She stood and walked around Elrond to face the conspirators. "Well I would say a punishment would be prudent, but as the trick seemed to backfire on at least two of you, I think walking around with pink hair until it grows out is enough punishment." She stopped in front of them and forced them all to look her in the eye. When she noticed Elladan's smile, she added, "I think to be fair though ALL of you should be the same color," looking pointedly at Elladan. His smile faded. He was about to protest but clamped his mouth shut when his grandmother raised her eyebrow.

"I'll see that it is carried out," Elrond said grimly as he walked up to them and pointed to the door. They reluctantly obeyed knowing they were in for some more talking to on the way to the baths.

"What am I suppose to do while this grows out?" Haldir asked when Galadriel turned to him. "I can't be on patrol. To the orcs I will glow in the dark!"

"Not to mention what the other elves will say," Celeborn put in unable to help himself. Haldir's face fell. He hadn't gotten that far in his thinking. His men would have a field day with this. "Not to worry," Galadriel assured patting him on the shoulder. "I have a way to take the color out. We just won't tell those three. Go back to your flet and I will send someone with the potion."

"Thank you my lady, but of the issue of Estel's training. Is it legal for me to increase the intensity because of this? If this had been one of the guards they would not have gotten off so easily, be they Elrond's son or not."

"I will speak with Lord Elrond and see what he says, but until you are told otherwise, no you may not increase his training."

Haldir bowed then briskly walked out of the room grumbling about the lack of respect the three had for their elders. As soon as he was safely out of the room and the doors closed Galadriel and Celeborn looked at each other then burst out laughing.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Over the next few weeks, the Elves were surprised to see the sons of Elrond walking around with pink hair. And the ones who were closest to them noticed more the dirty looks that Haldir kept sending their way. Galadriel's potion had indeed taken the awful color out of his hair, but he was still upset. He felt that they had gone too far this time. Haldir had known Elladan and Elrohir since they were but elflings, but never knew them to stoop so low. He had even somewhat lowered his opinion of Estel for a short time, but then quickly realized that his brothers had put him up to part of it. Haldir was surprised one afternoon after his lessons with Estel to find a note from Lord Elrond requesting his presence immediately.

Haldir wondered what he had done or hadn't done all the way to where Elrond had told him to meet. "Mae Govannen Haldir. I have enjoyed hearing how well Estel's training is coming along, but I wanted to talk to you about what happened with him and the twins. Lady Galadriel told me that you would like to increase the intensity of his training because of this incident. Normally, I would be all for that, but not this time. Estel is not an Elven guard nor is training to be one. You know as well as I that he is training to fulfill a destiny. He is to learn what he needs to know for the time being and that will be satisfactory. The twins and I had a very long talk and they told me their reasoning for making you the target for their plan. I do not wish to tell you myself as I think that you should ask them for yourself, but I will anyway."

"They said that they missed some of the things that the three of you used to do together. Part of their reason for coming along with me was so that they could see their old friend, Haldir. But as Elladan put it to me, they think that you have become a little too big for your britches, if I may be so bold to say so. So all I am suggesting is that you tone down the attitude. Can you do that at least until we leave?"

"Yes, my lord. I can," Haldir replied quietly. This had given him a lot to think about. He had been told as much before from his brothers, but for some reason, hearing it from friends made it truer. He reverently bowed and went to walk in the gardens where he could think.

Yes, it made sense now. They wanted to let some of his air out while having fun doing it. He saw that now, he had let his pride get in the way of his friends. With a sigh, he rose and went to find the brothers and beg an apology. Haldir had a pretty good idea where to find them. On his days off, Estel was either by the river or in the tops of one of the mallorns.

He tried the river first and was instantly rewarded. The trio was out having a picnic. Haldir took a deep breath and tentatively approached them. "May I join you as well?" Elladan looked at his brother then replied, "Go ahead we have room." For a few moments, the air around them was tense, none of them wanted to look the others in the eye. Finally, Estel broke the silence by straight out asking Haldir why he had come to join them. "I came to…apologize to all of you."

Haldir took a deep breath and silently laughed. This was all so silly and so was the brothers' hair as it was still a slight shade of pink. "Lord Elrond told me what your reasoning behind the prank was. I have been told that before and that one-day it would get me into trouble. I just never believed it and still in some ways can't believe that it took something so stupid to be my wakeup call. I am sorry for my actions towards you and I sincerely hope that we can remain friends. Though I am sure that Estel has not yet been initiated into our circle."

Elladan and Elrohir looked at each other with a knowing look, their plan had work. "Yea, we accept your apology and no we have not had the time yet to show our brother our hideout."


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31—The Lesson of Solitude

Estel looked at the three elves with a worried look on his face. He always got worried when either of his brothers had that mysterious twinkle in their eye; but what really had him worried was that he was outnumbered. All three of the elves had it. Haldir and the twins told Estel to stay where he was for a moment. They came back a few minutes later with their proposition.

"We can't leave our stuff here, so we will pack it up and take it back home. Estel, we have to have your word that you trust us and that you can be trusted. We feel that you are ready for this because of how well you are doing in your training and how mature you have become over the last few months. Honestly, Elladan and I did not recognize you when we saw you standing there at the ceremony," Elrohir said.

Haldir added, "Ever since these two were young, we would always take them to our hideout when they came to visit. We now wish to bestow the same honor on you. It is an honor as there are few who know about it. This is a special place because it is a place of complete solitude and where the world around you makes you feel as though you were not even a part of its being."

Estel looked at the three elves in wonder. He had never heard any of them talk like this and he always welcomed another opportunity to become one with nature. Estel loved the outdoors; it was in his blood as a Dunedain. They quickly packed up their camp and headed back. Haldir told them that he was required to check in with his troop that afternoon, but he would make it quick. "Meet me at the northern edge of the city in two hours time."

They all meet at the appropriate time and place a few hours later. Estel, by now was more curious than ever as his brothers refused to tell him anything about this little expedition. Elrohir informed Gilrean of where they were going, at least someone should just in case, while Elladan went and raided the kitchen for some snack foods. They had promised Gilrean that they would return before dark and they had no intention of breaking that as they were still on probation for the hair incident.

"Estel, this is where we test your trust in us. We are the only ones who know the way and for the time, must stay that way. We need to blindfold you, we promise that we will not cause you to trip or anything like that," Elladan explained. "Ok, I trust you," Estel replied. Haldir withdrew a blue scarf from his belt and tied it around Estel's eyes. They gently led him along the path, which went faster than they had anticipated because of Estel's willingness to be led. At last they reached their hideout. They turned Estel around a few times and then removed the blindfold.

He had to blink not only from the blinding sunshine, but also from the incredible beauty that was around him. They were in a glade much like the one used for training, but this was more remote and as Estel looked around him, he saw that running through the trees was a small brook. The field was covered in the beautiful silver starflowers of Lórien. Estel breathed in deeply. He loved the smell of the water and flowers all rolled into one like it was here.

The three elves also had to remind themselves where they were. It had been many years since Elladan and Elrohir had looked upon the beauty of the "Hidden Valley".

"Always remember, Estel that any answer you may need can be found in the beauty of nature that is constantly around you. And it will always be your closest ally. Though it may sound absurd, the trees and flowers will always lend a nonjudgmental ear to anything you may have to say or get out but can tell no one else."  
They sat down in the middle of the flowers and ate the bread and cheese that Elladan had brought. After a while they noticed it was beginning to get dark. They hated to break the serenity, but they had to. Elrohir reached down to Estel and helped him stand. "It's time to go back, but anytime you want to visit, let us know," he said with a wink.


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32—The Test

As the days and weeks passed on, Estel became more and more skilled at his sword training. There were even a few times that he had challenged his brothers and beat them, though he was unsure if he really was that much better than them or that they had let him win. He finally settled on the former choice, but he didn't care because he was able to say that he had beaten his brothers.

Finally, the day approached for Estel to prove that he had mastered the skills necessary for wielding a sword.

First, was a test of balance. A ropes course had been set up. Haldir and his brothers were not surprised to see the young human breeze through the course as if it were no challenge. Haldir had heard of how Estel had cleaned up Orophin and Rumil in the balance game and had had a difficult time coming up with a course that would be tough enough. The goal was not to cause him to fail, but to challenge him enough that he would really put the skills that he had learned to work.

A mock battle had been set up with several of the newer guard members. Estel was quick, but not quite quick enough. He lost the first few rounds. Finally, he began beating all of his opponents. After a few more rounds, Estel was proclaimed the winner.

The last test was something that Haldir had taught Estel, but they had not had much time to practice, so Estel was surprised when a stable hand came out to the arena leading Melian. Haldir looked at Estel, "It will be okay. She knows what to do and you handle her well. We have not made this too difficult, I hope, but it is a necessary part of the tests." Estel nodded and sheathed his sword momentarily so that he could mount Melian. The stable hands had even fixed his saddle to the right length and height. Estel had almost forgotten how good it felt to be in the saddle. The arena was cleared while everyone took a short break so that Estel could warm Melian up and they could set up for the test.

Finally, everything was ready. Haldir looked at Estel and made sure that he was ready to begin. Estel nodded and breathed deep. He talked softly to Melian giving her encouraging words to get as close as possible to his targets. This was one thing that had not come easily to him and he was nervous about doing this exercise in front of so many. Estel tried to clear his head of these thoughts and spurred Melian on. His targets had been tied to the tree branches above him and to stakes in the ground, alternating one above the other. As he rode, he slashed at the sand bags with the blade of the sword. When he completed the circle, he was pleased to see that he had only failed to open three of the fifteen. Estel leaned forward and patted Melian on the head, "Thank you. You know you are my closest friend. I will be sure that you have more treats tonight." He quickly dismounted and took the reins from one of the stable hands. "I will look after her thank you."

Estel took Melian back to the stables as Haldir discussed with Elrond and Galadriel whether or not he had passed the tests. He was very nervous about this part because while he knew that he had done well, he wasn't sure if it was good enough. Estel had forgotten that he had snuck some sugar cubes in his pocket and was awakened from his thoughts by Melian's wet nose against his hand. "Sorry. I forgot those were in there," he replied to her with a smile as she ate them up. "I must be getting back. I will return later to check on you."

Elrond had been very impressed with his foster son's abilities, especially his speed. He had never doubted the young human's Dunedain lineage, but he had never expected it to run so strong either. If it were up to him, there would be no debate in the matter. But he knew that this was not Imladris and things were run differently. The whole issue was just a matter of technicality, no one really expected the guard to deny that Estel was ready. As Estel approached where Haldir stood, it was proclaimed that he had passed the tests. Estel ran to hug the elf with a huge grin. "Hannon le. I had a good teacher."


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

There was much celebration after the trials of the day, but finally Estel retired to his room. He was very satisfied in how he had done. He could think of nothing but how proud he was to see the joy on everyone's faces that he was becoming grown up. Maybe faster than some of them cared to admit, but they could all see it. Maybe he would finally win a little more respect from his brothers. He had challenged them to play the cat and mouse game but they both refused. Estel knew that it was the prospect of getting beat by their little brother that kept them from playing. He didn't care. One day he would convince them to play.

Estel awoke the next morning to a sharp poke in his side, which turned into an all out tickle. Estel groggily rolled over to face his tormentor and tried to squirm away, but was unsuccessful. He had been pinned to his bed by a pair of strong arms. "Good morning master sluggard! We give you a night to party and you over sleep! What kind of person are you?" Estel grinned. He knew that voice anywhere. "Well, I'm not a morning one to be sure. And neither am I an elf like you."

Aglarmir released his hold on Estel. Estel was still very tired, but got over it quickly when he had heard the elf. He sat up and faced Aglarmir. "I am sorry that I have missed the last few weeks. I know how important they were. It's becoming odd that our patrols have been called out more and more recently. I know it's a bad excuse, but it's the truth."

"I know. I wish you could have seen me, but oh well. It's over with now."

"Over with? Says who?" Aglarmir replied with a grin. "I don't know what he did, but somehow Lord Elrond convinced your mother to let you go on patrol with my company. Though, it is odd because we will be combining with Haldir's troop for the time being. I heard also that Elladan and Elrohir would be joining us as well."

Estel's grin grew. This was too much. Though, he figured this was some last unspoken test. "Get up and get ready. You have already missed breakfast, but if we hurry we can make the mid-day meal. We will leave in the morning for our duty. That should give you plenty of time to get ready."

Estel thanked Aglarmir and quickly got ready. He ran off to find his Ada and thank him. He found Elrond in one of the gardens. Elrond had his back to Estel. Estel quietly said, "Ada? I wanted to thank you for letting me go on the patrols. I know we won't be going far, but I have wanted to join them on their hunts for a while. It always makes me sad when I am the only one left after they have gone."

"You are welcome, but you really should thank your mother more than I. The Lady Galadriel and I talked to her about allowing you to take this next step. This is important in many ways, and I think you know this, but you are to listen and do everything your brothers, Aglarmir or Haldir tells you to do. They will all be in serious trouble if they abuse this or cause you harm. I doubt they will, but I am letting you know just in case."

"I know. And thank you again." And with that, he ran off to find his mother.


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

The next morning after all had been prepared, the company set off. They really did not want to draw any unwanted attention and with Aglarmir and Haldir's troops together, they were afraid this would happen. So it ended up being a small party of only about 20 or so and the rest were sent to detail elsewhere in the forest. Estel was throughouly excited. Not only was he getting to spend extra time with his brothers and closest friends, but also he was finally going to be able to say that he had been on patrols with the guards of Lothlorien.

Gilrean had completely balked at the idea to begin with, so she had said her good-bye to Estel privately. She had indeed given her consent to let him go, but it was very reluctantly. But Elrond and Galadriel had helped ease some of those apprehensions by reminding her that not only would Elladan and Elrohir protect their brother to the death, but also that Haldir and Aglarmir would be there to protect and guide him if needed.

When they stopped for the noonday meal, Estel was relieved. Maybe now he would have a chance to talk. They had told him to be absolutely quiet while they had been walking and it was about to drive him crazy. He was beginning to think that going out in the wilderness wasn't all that it was cracked up to be.

He tried in vain for a little while to make small talk with some of the other elves, but either because they did not all speak the Common Speech or just because they were not used to it, most of the elves ignored him. Finally, he gave up and went and sat down on a log a little ways away from the rest of the group. Elladan noticed this and motioned to Elrohir. Estel seemed to listen to him better, so he went to see what the problem was. "What is wrong Estel?" he asked softly.

Estel stumbled for the right words. "I guess that I had the wrong impression of what was done on patrols or hunts. I had always pictured they were like The Hall of Fire at night when everyone gathers around to sing and have fun."

Elrohir looked at his little brother with compassion. "Maybe we gave off the wrong impression to you. Being gone all the time sounds adventurous to any child, elf or human. The reason they don't talk is it against the rules. Many understand you, but to a guard, silence is an absolute necessary. Being too loud or having a huge bonfire only attracts unwanted attention. Do you understand what I mean?" Elrohir had had a hard time understanding this as well on his first few trips, but had learned very quickly after a few unfortunate accidents with wargs.

"Yes, I do. Though, I do wish we could talk a little bit, I mean we are not that far from the city yet."

"This is true. I will see what I can do. Get your things together, we're off again in a few moments."

And so for the majority of the week, this was the order of things. They would rise early in the morning and begin their march only stopping a short while for the mid-day meal. Then, they would continue on their way until just past sunset. Along the way, the elves were teaching Estel some tracking skills.

The only thing they did not trust him to do was be the watchman in the night. A few times they woke him extra early so he could watch for a few hours, but never more. They knew he was too young to keep his attention that focused for long.

But on the way home things took an ugly turn…


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35 Ungol

Estel had been doing some small tracking with Aglarmir when he stopped suddenly. Estel just looked at him questioningly until the elf pointed down. Estel had never seen such strange tracks and he noticed that Aglarmir had turned very pale. He pulled at the elf's sleeve until he got him going. They returned to the camp unexpectedly. Haldir was the only one to notice that they had returned early and saw the look of horror on Aglarmir's face. He quickly ran over to them and pulled them back into the undergrowth so none of the others would notice.

"Aglarmir, what is wrong? You look as if you have seen a ghost!"

"Haldir, we must hurry and return to the city today!"

"But we are still more than a full day away."

"Yes, I know. But, I have seen the tracks of an Ungol," Aglarmir looked deeply at Haldir.

They both knew that this meant they were all in very grave danger. Estel looked at the two elves questioningly, but that question was not answered until much later. Suddenly, Haldir became just as pale as Aglarmir and whispered to him to get his men together but to not tell them anything even if asked. Just to mention that they were being followed and needed to return with all haste to the city.

The elves of Lothlorien knew of the giant spiders that had invaded parts of their eastern neighbor, Mirkwood, though very few had been seen inside their borders. It was quite a mystery to Haldir how they managed to jump the Anduin, but they had somehow and now they had a very big problem.

Most of the elves did as they were told, but there were a few who needed a little more prodding. Elladan and Elrohir tried to get Estel to tell them at least what they had seen, but he did not have the words to describe the tracks they had seen.

Within moments the company was ready and on their way back to the City of the Galadhrim. Haldir and Aglarmir were the only ones who knew what the danger was; they refused to even tell Elladan and Elrohir. The scouts came back and told them in hurried tones that giant spider webs blocked the path in front of them. They had tried to hack through them with their swords, but the strands seemed to be made of steel themselves and would not bend nor break.

The Elves quickly realized that they were trapped. They could not head back to their campsite but they obviously couldn't continue in their present direction. Haldir called over to the sons of Elrond. Elladan and Elrohir had noticed their worried expressions and were seriously wondering what was going on. Aglarmir told them about the tracks that he and Estel had found and now their path was cut off by a huge web. The four held a longer than normal debate about what course they should take. It would be too risky to either stay together or split up. They all knew the forest paths very well, but as it was quickly becoming darker, they knew there would be great danger in trying to find the markers in the night. A shout interrupted them, it seemed as if their decision had been made for them, they would have to stay and fight. They could see three dark shadows on the edge of the circle that the elves had made.

Elrohir looked desperately for Estel in the crowd but could not see him. They would have to hurry. The guards were very sorely outnumbered on sheer size alone. The elves quickly began trying to pierce the thick hide of the spiders without much success. A few had already succumbed to the spiders' poisonous bite.

Estel had quietly slid away when the first shapes of the beasts had appeared. He knew enough to stay out of the way and be quiet. But, he let out a sharp groan when someone tripped over him. He looked up to see Elladan, who quickly pulled him to his feet. "We may need your sword, nenth min. Stay low. I will come get you in a moment."

"Elladan, wait," Estel replied as he tugged on his brother's sleeve. "I know how they can be killed."

Elladan looked down at his brother who was holding his short sword tight in his grasp. He had remembered Estel retelling them the story where he took the blade's name from and very quickly understood what his brother was hinting at. "Okay, come on, just stay away from the stingers!" And with that, they ran into the fray.

The elves were hard pressed to keep the claws of the spiders away, but they parried the blows with their well-wielded swords. Elladan had quickly told all he saw of the possible way to kill the creatures. Then, suddenly inspiration struck. He called out to all that could hear, "Follow my voice and join me in the center. Draw the spiders to you. I have an idea." He figured that numerous blows to the spiders' underside would do more good than a single blade as these spiders seemed to be older and far thicker than any they had seen before.

Once he had a small group of 5 or 6 of the elves together around him, he told them, "On the count of three, jab your sword upward as hard as possible. This should cut through the flesh."

One…

Two…

Three…

The group of elves all did as Elladan had told them and were quickly rewarded with the sound of the monstrous beast dying. They all had to scramble out from the stench and the falling body. They had all made it out okay. Haldir had seen what Elladan did and commanded those around him to do likewise. Soon all three of the spiders lay in a heap in the middle of the forest floor.

Elladan and Elrohir quickly looked for Estel, but he was nowhere to be found. "This is not good brother, Ada will have our heads if he has been hurt," Elrohir looked at his brother with a scared look. Elladan had never seen his brother so terrified. "I know. I'm worried too, but we both know he can handle himself." 'Hopefully,' he added silently.

The brothers helped the other elves cut down the webbed bundles that had been hung from a tree. They both reached for a smaller than normal one at the same time. They gently lifted him up and cut the cord that was hanging down. Slowly, they climbed down the tree while praying to the Valar at the same time.

At the bottom, the elves unwrapped their comrades and quickly lit a fire and placed them near it. Aglarmir had seen the looks of horror on Elladan and Elrohir's faces and knew that they had found Estel. They laid him to the ground gently and began unwrapping his bonds. Apparently, he had been on the last ones caught because his bonds were not as tight or intricate as the elves' had been. They all took this to be a good thing, but became a little worried when his breathing started becoming shallow.

Haldir came up to them and said, "I know you wish to stay with him. But, we need you to go fetch the Lord Elrond and some of the healers. Some of them do not look to be poisoned too bad, but we will still need the medicines to purge the filth from them." The brothers looked at him like he was crazy, but they understood that this was the best way to help Estel, so they grabbed some torches and took off down the path as fast as they could.

A loud pounding at his door awakened Elrond. As he grabbed his dressing gown, he wondered who on earth would possibly have something so important as to disturb him at this hour of the night. As he opened the door, Elladan and Elrohir burst in. "Ada…we need your help." "We were attacked by spiders on the march home, we need the healers and anything you can think of." The twins got this all out in one breath despite the fact that they were completely rundown.

"Okay, I will get together what I can. How many were poisoned?" The twins looked at each other fearing the worst from their answer.

"There were three or four of the elves and…"

"And?" Elrond asked incredulously.

"Estel was stung too. We got separated from him in the dark and found him wrapped in the webbing after they were killed." Elrond could see from the looks of dismay in his sons' eyes that they were telling the truth.

"I will have someone bring you some tea and in a little while, I shall return for both of you and we shall ride out with the healers to where they are."

---------

Several hours later, Elrond arrived with the healers and his sons at the campsite where the wounded were. As he made the rounds to each elf, he told the healers exactly what to give each one and how much. The amount of the antidote for the spider stings that was to be given varied by age and stature. The healers meticulously followed the Elf lord doing as he said until he came at last to Estel.

"I admit. He does not look as bad as the rest. He was bitten last then?" Elladan and Elrohir nodded. That had been their guess as well. Elrond told the healer to hand him the vial of antidote and that he would do this one himself. "Oh, Estel, why do you wish to be grown up so soon?" Elrond gently talked to his foster son as he lathered the serum onto a cloth and draped it over his forehead.

-----------------

By morning, most of the elves had recovered from the stings with very few side effects. Elrond sent these back to the city with the healers and the majority of the troops. Aglarmir, the twins and a few others stayed behind. Elrond was worried because with the rise of the sun, Estel had acquired a slight fever that was going up with every hour.

"Elladan, I need you to go to the river and get me a pot of cold water. Return as quick as you can." It was a very rare thing for the twins to hear panic in their father's voice, but it was definitely there. A little while later, Elladan returned with the pot. The twins then helped Elrond bathe Estel in the cool water so as to help bring the fever down. He silently prayed to the Valar to protect and watch over his foster son and to bring him back to them. It was not his time to visit the Halls of Mandos.

Elrond had been taking a short rest from watching over Estel when he heard Aglarmir call out a few hours later. "My Lord! His fever has broken!" Elrond rushed over to where Estel lay and took his hand in his. Aglarmir thought that the Elf Lord had swooned as he had laid his head over the top of Estel's hand and had not moved for sometime.

Then, suddenly, Estel opened his eyes. Elrond had felt the movement in the hand that he was holding and tears of joy overflowed when he looked into Estel's eyes. "I have been told you were the one who came up with the idea on how to kill the spiders. I guess your training has been useful," he said with a smile. "Come, let's get you home."

After the fire had been put out, Elladan and Elrohir mounted their horses and Estel was put in front of Elrohir. Aglarmir and Elrond quickly mounted their horses as well and they all headed back to Lothlorien.


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36 part 1

A/N: Part of this was taken from "The Children of Hurin".

After a few weeks of bed rest, Estel was more than ready to go outside. He had had less of the poison, but it had affected him the worse since he was the smallest. Even just a tiny bit more would have been enough to kill him. Gilrean was worried when Haldir returned with the other elves and had been informed that Lord Elrond had been called out to treat some injuries. No one would tell her exactly what had happened, so she became frantic when Estel was nowhere to be seen. Finally, Haldir gave in and told her what had happened and that Estel had been stung by one of the spiders. But he gave her reassurance that Elrond and his brothers were still out there and they were going to take the best care of him that they possibly could.

It didn't matter if he had been able to get up and move about sooner because his mother would not have allowed it. She knew that it was not his fault what had happened, but she was still angry enough to try and punish him. But like always, she couldn't stay mad at him long, she was just happy he was relatively okay. It had been decided that once he was well enough to travel, they would begin their journey home. Estel was very sad to have to say goodbye to everyone in Lórien, but they just told him that they would meet again someday.

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As they were making ready to leave, Gilrean and Estel received a message from the Lady Galadriel. She wished to speak with them one more time before they departed.

Gilrean and her son walked the long flight of stairs and reached the room where Galadriel said to meet.

"Please come and sit down."

Estel still looked at her in wonder. So far, she was the most beautiful elf that he had ever seen. He laughed inside as he remembered the stories that some of the Rangers had told him on the way of an elf-witch. That had been silly to believe. Even they agreed, most were refreshed beyond their years and some had learned new skills to take back to the other Rangers.

"I wish to tell you a story before you leave. As you know, Elves live for forever and humans must die. There have been several times when an elf has fallen in love with a human and the results have generally been the same, but the stories are always different."

"This happened to my cousin and a wise woman of his court. Usually the story goes that a human male falls in love with a female elf. But this time was different. My cousin refused to marry her because he knew she would die, yet he loved her with all of his heart."

"But, that is not the story I wish to tell. It is said that Andreth, the woman my cousin loved, had conversations with his brother, Finrod, who was also an advisor. I wished to tell you about one of these conversations because it concerns both of you, it concerns how men perceive hope or _estel._"

"That's my name!"

"Yes, it is nenth min. But, I know that no one has told you its entire meaning. Here is part of the story of Andreth and her love for an elf Prince."

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"Have ye then no hope?" said Finrod.

"What is hope?" she said. "An expectation of good, which though uncertain has some foundation in what is known? Then we have none."

"That is one thing that Men call 'hope'," said Finrod. "_Amdir_ we call it, 'looking up'. But there is another which is founded deeper. _Estel_ we call it that is 'trust'. It is not defeated by the ways of the world, for it does not come from experience, but from our nature and first being. If we are indeed the Eruhin, the Children of the One, then He will not suffer Himself to be deprived of His own, not by any Enemy, not even by ourselves. This is the last foundation of _Estel_, which we keep even when we contemplate the End: of all His designs the issue must be for His Children's joy. _Amdir_ you have not, you say. Does no _Estel_ at all abide?"

"Maybe," she said. "But no! Do you not perceive that it is part of our wound that _Estel_ should falter and its foundations be shaken? Are we the Children of the One? Are we not cast off finally? Or were we ever so? Is not the Nameless the Lord of the World?"

"Say it not even in question!" said Finrod.

"It cannot be unsaid," answered Andreth, "if you would understand the despair in which we walk. Or in which most Men walk. Among the Atani, as you call us, or the Seekers as we say: those who left the lands of despair and the Men of Darkness and journeyed west in vain hope: it is believed that healing may yet be found, or that there is some way of escape. But is this indeed _Estel_? Is it not _Amdir_ rather; but without reason: mere flight in a dream from what waking they know: that there is no escape from darkness and death?"

"_Mere flight in a dream_ you say," answered Finrod. "In dream many desires are revealed; and desire may be the last flicker of _Estel_. But you do not mean _dream_, Andreth. You confound _dream_ and _waking_ with _hope_ and _belief_, to make the one more doubtful and the other more sure. Are they asleep when they speak of escape and healing?"

"Asleep or awake, they say nothing clearly," answered Andreth. "How or when shall healing come? To what manner of being shall those who see that time be re-made? And what of us who before it go out into darkness unhealed? To such questions only those of the 'Old Hope' (as they call themselves) have any guess of an answer."

"_Those of the Old Hope_?" Said Finrod. "Who are they?"

"A few," she said; "but their number has grown since we came to this land, and they see that the Nameless can (as they think) be defied. Yet that is no good reason. To defy him does not undo his work of old. And if the valor of the Eldar fails here, then their despair will be deeper. For it was not on the might of Men, or of any of the peoples of Arda, that the old hope was grounded."

"What then was this hope, if you know?" Finrod asked.

"They say," answered Andreth: "they say that the One will himself enter into Arda, and heal men and all the Marring from the beginning to the end. This they say also, or they feign, is a rumor that has come down through years uncounted, even from the days of our undoing."

"They say, they feign?" said Finrod. "Are you then not one of them?"

"How can I be, lord? All wisdom is against them. Who is the One, whom ye call Eru? If we put aside the Men who serve the Nameless, as do many in Middle-earth, still many men perceive the world only as a war between Light and Dark equipotent. But you will say: nay, that is Manwë and Melkor; Eru is above them. Is then Eru only the greatest of the Valar, a great got among gods, as most Men will say, even among the Atani: a king who dwells far from his kingdom and leaves lesser princes to do here much as they will? Again you say: nay, Eru is One, alone without peer, and He made Eä, and is beyond it; and the Valar are greater than we, but yet no nearer to His majesty. Is this not so?"

"Yes," said Finrod. "We say this, and the Valar we know, and they say the same, all save one. But which, think you, is more likely to lie: those who make themselves humble, or he that exalts himself?"

"I do not doubt," said Andreth. "And for that reason the saying of Hope passes my understanding. How could Eru enter into the thing He has made, and than which He is beyond measure greater? Can the singer enter into his tale or the designer into his picture?"

"He is already in it, as well as outside," said Finrod. "But indeed the 'in-dwelling' and the 'out-living' are not in the same mode."

"Truly," said Andreth. "So may Ero in that mode be present in Eä that proceeded from Him. But they speak of Eru Himself _entering into Arda_, and that is a thing wholly different. How could He the greater do this? Would it not shatter Arda, or indeed all Eä?

"Ask me not," said Finrod. "These things are beyond the compass of the wisdom of the Eldar, or of the Valar maybe. But I doubt that our words may mislead us, and that when you say 'greater' you think of the dimensions of Arda, in which the greater vessel may not be contained in the less.

"But such words may not be used of the Measureless. If Eru wished to do this, I do not doubt that He would find a way, though I cannot foresee it. For, as it seems to me, even if He in Himself was to enter in, He must still remain also as He is: the Author without. And yet, Andreth, to speak with humility, I cannot conceive how else this healing could be achieved. Since Eru will surely not suffer Melkor to turn the world to his own will and to triumph in the end. Yet there is no power conceivable greater than Melkor save Eru only. Therefore Eru, if He will not relinquish His work to Melkor, who must else proceed to mastery, then Eru must come in to conquer him.

"More: even if Melkor (or the Morgoth that he has become) could in any way be thrown down or thrust from Arda, still his Shadow would remain, and the evil that he has wrought and sown as a seed would wax and multiply. And if any remedy for this is to be found, ere all is ended, any new light to oppose the shadow, or any medicine for the wounds: then it must, I deem, come from without."

"Then, lord," said Andreth, and she looked up in wonder, "you believe in this Hope?"

"Ask me not yet," he answered. "For it is still to me but strange news that comes from afar. No such hope was ever spoken to the Quendi. To you only it was sent. And yet throughout you were may hear it and lift up our hearts." He paused a while, and then looking gravely at Andreth he said: "Yes, Wise-woman, maybe it was ordained that we Quendi, and ye Atani, ere the world grows old, should meet and bring news one to another, and so we should learn of the Hope from you: ordained, indeed, that thou and I, Andreth, should sit here and speak together, across the gulf that divides our kindreds, so that while the Shadow still broods in the North we should not be wholly afraid."

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"I hope, dear Estel, son of Gilrean and Arathorn that you remember well these lessons. Keep your faith burning strong. Hope can be a strong ally. Cling to it. I feel a dark time is coming and those around you will need your hope. I do not say these things to scare you, but to remind you of your name and what it means. I also wish to extend to you and the other Dunedain an invitation that Lothlórien will always welcome our kin from Numenor."

"Thank you my lady. I do wish to see you again and maybe I will some day."

Galadriel smiled. There were only a few who knew the destiny this young boy had to fulfill…


	37. Chapter 37

C. 37 Homecoming

Finally, all was made ready for their journey home and they left the fair wood of Lothlorien. All of them were very reluctant to take the passes through the mountains but it was decided that it would be the quickest way home. They left a few days after Estel turned 10.

They met very few if any travelers on the fields to the river. Estel enjoyed this part of the trip the most because he could ride ahead with no danger of getting into trouble because there were no trees anywhere close to the path they were riding. He had missed being able to really take Melian riding while in Lórien. Estel definitely knew how to handle her well for he would get her going at a gallop for a while, then slow her back down or even backtrack their path and ride back with the others for a while.

On their first full week out of Lórien, Elladan and Elrohir challenged Estel to a race. It was hard to come up with markers so they decided to wait until they could see the river and then race to it. A few days later, this challenge was accepted. The three raced to the river as fast as they could trying to beat each other. It was refreshing to feel the wind in their faces and see the green grass and flowers flowing swiftly under the hooves' of the horses. Elladan ended up beating his brothers, but not by much. Gilrean and Elrond had sped up their pace too so that they could see the race. They all stopped by the riverside for their mid-day meal and a small nap even. They were in no real hurry to return, so they paced their days at a fairly even rate. When it was time to continue, Estel suddenly froze where he was as the memories of Reneal's attack came back to him.

"Estel, you must hurry. We need to reach the mountains before dark; it is growing more dangerous now for us to be in the open. What is wrong?" Elrond asked him as he re-crossed the river to see why he wasn't moving.

"I don't know. I can't make myself get across the river."

Gilrean had heard Elrond's question and rode back and whispered to him, "This is close to where Reneal attacked him."

"Oh, I see now. Estel, you cannot be afraid to cross water just because of one very unfortunate incident. Come on, I will ride across with you, no matter how slow it goes." He called to Elladan and Elrohir, "Take Gilrean and set up camp as soon as you can, we will catch up with you when we can." The brothers nodded and rode off.

"Okay, Estel. It is just you and me. I will help you get through this. I know you know how to ride, so just kick your legs and Melian will do the rest for you. It is alright to be afraid, but you can't let that fear stop you. Courage is to kick that fear in the face by accomplishing what it is you are afraid of."

Estel tried but he couldn't stop his brain from thinking about what had happened. Finally, he managed all his willpower and concentration in telling his feet to move the way they were supposed to and within a few minutes they were across the river. Elrond smiled at his foster son. "Now that that is over, let's go catch up with your mother and the twins." They rode at a fairly fast, but steady pace and found where they had set up camp for the night just as the stars were rising in the sky.

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Spring was in full bloom as they reached Imladris. Estel never thought he would be so happy to see everything that was so familiar to him. They took their horses to the stables and got washed up for the feast that was to follow later that night for their safe return.

Glorfindel had been a twist of knots, he knew he was capable of being in charge while Elrond was gone, but it was a great relief to see his Lord finally home. "Mae Govannen, Glorfindel. I take it everything went well since Imladris is still standing." Estel laughed, it was good to be home.

"Yes, my lord. Everything went very well and I imagine will go better now that you have returned." Estel ran to hug him. Glorfindel held him back at an arm's length so that he could look at him. "You have indeed grown in the year that it has been since I last saw you. What is that hanging by your side?"

Estel had grown so used to wearing his sword that he had almost forgotten it was there. "Oh! That is my sword!" He took it out and let Glorfindel hold it. "This is a good blade. I am sure that you now rival your brothers at swordsmanship," he replied with a wink as he handed it back.

Later that night, they all enjoyed the feast that had been put together in their honor. Afterwards, there was much singing and dancing in The Hall of Fire, but Estel was too tired to join in for once. He had dreadfully missed sleeping in his own bed. Almost as soon as his head hit the pillow, he was sound asleep and did not wake until the next afternoon.


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 38 Unexpected visitors

After they had been back a little over a month, a group of visitors came to the valley of Imladris. Normally, this was no ordinary thing. Numerous visitors came to The Last Homely House all the time. What made these so different was they were the first dwarves to have entered the valley in many, many years. Estel had been down by the river visiting some of his friends when the new comers showed up.

Estel and Fingol ran outside when they heard the commotion. All of the elves that lived around the river were throwing taunts at the company of travelers.

"Don't dip your beard in the foam father!"

"Mind Bilbo doesn't eat all the cakes, he is too fat yet to go through key-holes."

One traveler who stood taller than the others quickly silenced the merry tongues of the elves. Estel had seen a couple of dwarves every now and then, but they were not frequent visitors to Imladris for obvious reasons. So he knew what they were and he figured the man with grey hat was a wizard, so that left only one.

He quietly whispered to Fingol, "What is that?" he said pointing down at the company passing over the bridge. "A dwarf."

"I know that! What is _that?"_

_"_Oh, that is a _perian_, or halfling."

"A what?"

"A perian."

Estel gave up; he would have to find out from Elrond what the mysterious creature with furry feet was.

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He would not find out until the next day who or what the strange creature was. That night, there was a grand fest for the guests that Elrond's entire household had been invited to. Estel ended up sitting next to the strange creature and one of the younger dwarves, who he found out, was Kili. During the course of the meal, he enjoyed hearing of their trip so far from a place he had never heard of called The Shire.

Finally, towards the end of the evening, he struck up the courage to ask Mr. Baggins what he was. For indeed the strange creature was none other than Mr. Bilbo Baggins of The Shire who was recruited by the wizard Gandalf to accompany the dwarves on their trek to recover their stolen treasure from a dragon called Smaug.

Estel asked timidly, "Mr. Baggins, sir, what are you?"

Bilbo laughed. He had always been fond of children and Estel was the first human he had ever met. "Why I am a hobbit, my dear boy. I can see you have never heard of us and for good reason. We mainly keep to ourselves and very rarely travel nor openly accept 'strangers.' We are mainly a people of farmers and growers. We live holes in the ground sometimes called smials. We crave peace and comfort which is why all this business with the dwarves has had me in knots."

Estel nodded. That would make sense as to why he had never seen a hobbit, but he would have to ask Elrond more about them. Estel was looking forward to The Hall of Fire this night. He had never heard dwarven music before.

In the Hall, the Dwarves pulled out their flutes and drums and were eventually joined by some of the Elven musicians. This surprised many of the household, but Estel was transported in his mind by Elven ships to the halls of the dwarves and had dreams of this all through the night.


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter 39

Taken from "The Hobbit"

Lord Elrond came to Gilrean and Estel's rooms a few days after the Dwarves arrival. Gilrean answered the door very surprised. "My Lord," she greeted Elrond as she bowed to him. "What brings you here so late? Estel was just getting ready for bed."

"I am sorry to disturb you at this late hour, my Lady. But, I have been presented with a wonderful opportunity to teach Estel something that may not come around again. The Dwarves have a map that has some curious runes that they have asked me to decipher. I thought that Estel would enjoy the visit with them and to see the runes."

"Yes, I am sure he will. Thank you for considering him. I shall return shortly with him."

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Estel was just getting into bed when his mother came in with a big grin. "I have a surprise for you Estel. Apparently, these visitors have given Elrond an idea of a new lesson for you. I will let him explain it better, but you need to get ready now."

Estel was very surprised by this indeed. He quickly ran and got his clothes on but was stopped on his way out of the door. "On your best behavior, Estel." Gilrean shot him a warning look. "I know, I know."

"Ada, what are we doing?"

"The Dwarves have a map that has some curious runes on it that I would like you to see. I thought it would be interesting for you and an excuse to stay up late." Elrond winked at Estel as he took the child's hand and led him up to the observatory.

"Well met friends and travelers. Maybe what I can reveal on your map will aid you in your journey. Estel, you can come over here too so you may see. But, first Thorin and Gandalf let me see your swords."

Estel looked in wonder at the small short sword that Thorin handed to Elrond and the longer Elven sword that the wizard handed over as well. "Estel, can you read any of it?"

"I am not sure Ada. Some of these I have not seen before."

Elrond smiled at his foster son. "No, you would not have seen these. Gandalf, you sword was made in Gondolin and is named Glamdring or 'Foe-Hammer.' Thorin your sword is named 'Orcrist' or the Goblin-Cleaver. Though, I said sword it may have been an Elven knife."

"Where did the trolls get them I wonder?" asked Thorin.

"I could not say," said Elrond, "but one may guess that your trolls had plundered of old robberies in some hold in the mountains. I have heard that there are still forgotten treasures of old to be found in the deserted caverns of the mines of Moria, since the dwarf and goblin war."

Estel noticed Thorin looking thoughtful as he studied the sword. "I will keep this sword in honor," he said. "May it soon cleave goblins once again!"

"A wish that is likely to be granted soon enough in the mountains!" said Elrond. "But now show me your map!"

Thorin handed Elrond the map. Estel saw Elrond study the map for a long time then shake his head. He would have to remember what that was about. Estel looked about him while he was waiting. It was a beautiful clear night. The moon was shining above in a broad silver crescent. Estel loved it up here and hoped he would be able to visit more. Suddenly, Elrond held up the map and saw the moonlight shine threw it. "What is this? There are moon letters here, beside the plain runes which say 'five feet high the door and three may walk abreast.'

Estel grinned as Bilbo asked his own unspoken question. "What are moon letters?"

"Moon letters are rune letters, but you cannot see them, at least when you look straight at them. They can only be seen when the moon shines behind them, and what is more, with the more cunning sort it must be a moon of the same shape and season as the day when they were written. The dwarves invented them and wrote them with silver pens. These must have been written on a midsummer's eve in a crescent moon, a long while ago."

"What do they say?" Estel giggled as the dwarf and Gandalf asked this at the same time. He knew he wouldn't be going to sleep tonight.

"Stand by the grey stone when the thrush knocks," read Elrond, "and the setting sun with the last light of Durin's Day will shine upon the key-hole."

"Durin! Durin!" cried Thorin. "He was the father of the fathers of the eldest race of the Dwarves, the Longbeards, and my first ancestor: I am his heir."

"Then what is Durin's Day?" asked Elrond.

"The first day of the Dwarves' New Year," said Thorin, "as all should know, is the first day of the last moon of Autumn on the first day of Winter. We still call it Durin's Day when the last moon of autumn and the sun are in the sky together. But this will not help us much, I fear, for it passes our skill in these days to guess when such a time will come again."

"That remains to be seen," said Gandalf. "Is there any more writing?"

"None to be seen by this moon," said Elrond, and he gave the map back to Thorin. "I must be excused now to take my foster son back to his mother. The valet will escort you to the main hall. Good night friends!"

Elrond took Estel by the hand and led him down the stairs back to his room.

"Ada, how did you know what that said?"

"I am learned in many rune-systems, many that are not even used anymore. I may be able to teach you some if you have time because you are clearly interested. Tomorrow is Midsummer's Day and there will be a lovely feast and celebration by the river. All of your lessons will be cancelled and I will see to it that your mother is informed so you may come."

"Thank you Ada! Can we go up to the observatory again? I like it up there."

"Yes, neth min. I will see what I can arrange. Now, I think you at least need to try to sleep. Tomorrow will be a busy day."


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter 40

Estel woke up very early despite having gone to bed so late. He knew the visitors would be leaving and he remembered what Lord Elrond had said about the celebration.

He ran in the next room and jumped on his mother's bed. "Good morning little hunter. Why are we awake so early?"

"Momma, I had so much fun last night with Ada and the Dwarves. Ada even said we might be able to go up to the observatory again. He also said today is the Mid-Summer's Day celebration by the river! Come on, we gotta get ready!" Gilrean had to laugh as Estel tried to pull her out of the bed. "Okay, I'm coming of my own free-will!"

Estel climbed off the bed and ran to get his clothes on.

When they reached the river, they saw the party was already under way; many tents had been set up for eating and dancing. Estel marveled again at the sound of the Dwarven flutes and drums. Gilrean called after him as he ran off, "Be careful! And come back for lunch!"

"I will!"

Estel ran to find Bilbo before he left to wish him good luck on his journey and to tell him goodbye. In the short time the visitors were in Rivendell, Estel had made friends with the hobbit.

Finally, Estel found him. "Mr. Bilbo sir."

"Why hello Estel. Glad to see you could come join the party."

"I just wanted to tell you good luck with the rest of your journey. I would like to hear your stories of the dragon someday if I may. I like dragon stories."

"Thank you. I will have to remember that, so that I can come back to Rivendell some day. I enjoy it very much here. You and I are a lot alike. I always wanted to see Elves and here you are, you get to live with them every day!"

"I know what you mean, though sometimes, they can be a pain, especially older brothers." Estel said this just as Elladan and Elrohir were coming their way. "Oh I see."

Estel did not really have to look down, he and the hobbit were almost eye level, but it was funny to see his brothers having to kneel before Bilbo to say their own goodbyes.

Suddenly, the group heard Gandalf calling for Bilbo. "Well, I suppose I must be off. Estel, if you can, come visit the Shire some day. I think you will enjoy it, if not, I will see you sometime when I do return here."

"Thank you again Mr. Bilbo. It was nice meeting you." And with that, Bilbo was off to join his companions.

The rest of the day was spent dancing, telling stories and eating. The elves seemed to never get tired of merry-making and today was the biggest day of the year for that.

Estel went to bed very late that evening.


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter 41

After the Dwarves left, Estel began training with the guards.

Estel very much enjoyed the bow and arrow, but his favorite was sparring with the sword. Elladan and Elrohir had promised him when he was younger that one day they would spar with him and they eventually made good on that promise, which was a huge treat to Estel. He never beat them, but he didn't care, he was having fun.

Estel always came back exhausted, but the masters all agreed that he was progressing nicely. Then in the afternoons he would have lessons in the library with Glorfindel or Elrond. These usually consisted of learning either about history or the ways of the healers or refining his skills in speaking the Elven language.

They began teaching him the art of the bow and arrow for it was used just as much as the sword. The craftsmen gave Estel a finely crafted bow of his own. The ones the Elves used were too big for him, so it was ordered that this one be crafted for him. There were no special adornments, save the tips that had been carved out in the small shapes of dragonheads at each end.

The twins were almost immediately called back out on hunts when they returned from Lórien. Though, they stayed gone for shorter amounts of time than before.

After the adventure in Lórien, Gilrean flat out refused to let Estel out of the boundaries of The Last Homely House. He was able to go to his training in the fields, but no further. Elrond understood her worries, but her reluctance was beginning to give him a very big headache. The masters came to him almost daily to complain that the practice Estel was receiving would stick better if he had to use the skills in the wild. On this day, Elrond had had enough and told Glorfindel as much. Glorfindel then took it upon himself to go find Gilrean and talk to her.

Gilrean was startled out of her thoughts by a knock at the door. She was surprised when she opened it and saw Glorfindel standing there.

"Glorfindel, this is a surprise. Is something wrong?"

He bowed. "No, my lady. Elrond is worried about something and I took it on myself to sort it out."

Gilrean let him in and led him to her study. "What has Elrond so worried and why does it concern me?"

"Apparently, the masters are a bit upset that Estel has not had the opportunity to gain the experience of using what is being taught to him in real situations."

"So, what are you saying? That Lord Elrond wishes me to relent my position in regards to my own son?"

Glorfindel stared at her with his mouth open. "Do not look so shocked my dear elf. I notice more than you two give me credit for."

He could not find words for several minutes; he had never seen Gilrean so inflamed. "Yes, my lady. Though we do hope you will relent soon. What happened in Lórien could not have been prevented. He ended up safe in the end. Please rethink your position," he finally replied. With a respectful bow, he let himself out.

After the Elf Lord left, Gilrean sat down in the chair with a sigh. She did not enjoy how fast her son was growing up and how seemingly powerless she was to stop the changes. More than anything, she did not appreciate being told how to raise him; though she knew in her heart of hearts that if the Dunedain had stayed together, he would have begun this training far earlier than with the elves. She then decided she would find Elrond and give her permission for the masters to take him on their expeditions.

Later on, the news was broke to Estel who was overjoyed, despite the misfortune with the spiders; he had enjoyed the week on patrol in Lórien. If he had the choice, he knew what he would ask. One of the things that had intrigued him from Bilbo's story was the trolls that they had been captured by. He had every intention of seeing these beasts of stone.


	42. Chapter 42

Chapter 42 Camping and Trolls

A few weeks after Gilrean relented her position Estel was informed that he was to be assigned to one of the beginner guards. He was absolutely overjoyed. This trip would be the longest he had ever been on. They would be gone two weeks and would begin to show Estel the wilds beyond the gates of Rivendell. Elladan had become sick and was forced to stay in the house. Elrohir felt guilty about leaving his brother, but they both knew it would be better if one of them were there for Estel.

The trip on the whole went quite well. Elrohir and Estel had even brought back their meals a few times after tracking and hunting the game in the woods. A few days out from Imladris, the group was tracking a series of strange tracks and had split off into separate smaller groups as the tracks went many different directions. Elrohir and Estel suddenly came upon three huge figures in a glade. They shrank back into the bushes and waited for a few moments. The whole time, the figures did not move and suddenly Estel jumped out of the undergrowth brandishing his sword. Elrohir tried in vain to stop his brother.

"Estel! What are you doing?!?" Elrohir asked in a hushed tone. Estel just looked at his brother and grinned.

"Come on you trolls of stone and fight!" He began to play fight the trolls with his sword.

At first, Elrohir was shocked that his brother had compromised their cover, and then laughed as he watched Estel slay the trolls of stone. Some of the elves that were close by had heard all the commotion and came running only to fall in fits of laughter as Elrohir had done.

That night they had a merry feast around the campfire and did not care who or what saw them. They were celebrating for they had caught many deer and had to get rid of the meat before it spoiled.

A few days later, the party returned to Imladris. Estel was shocked the next day when his brothers woke him up fiercely, "Just because we go on patrol, doesn't mean you get to miss practice!" "Get up, you are already late."

"Well, I can't get up because you two are on top of me and I can't shove you off because I can't move my arms! Elladan, get off me!"

"Why are you so grouchy this morning little brother?"

"I don't like getting up early and we got back late. I will be fine, just let me up."

"Okay, okay. But you better be in a better mood later on." Elrohir said as the twins left his room.

Estel had not realized that he would still be required to go practice especially after having returned so late the night before. He quickly got dressed and went down to the practice fields.

Around lunchtime, he sought out his Ada to see if they could cancel their lessons for the afternoon. This would take some time to get used to. Elrond agreed but only this one time. He sighed to himself, shaking his head about how soft he had become because of his foster son.

Estel quickly ran off to his room with profuse thanks and slept all through the night until the next morning.


	43. Chapter 43

Chapter 43 Love Lessons

Around the time Estel was 14, Elrond took him for a walk in the gardens for their daily lesson one afternoon.

"Estel, do you know what the greatest emotion is?"

"I would guess either fear or love."

"Yes, fear is a powerful emotion, but it is not the greatest. Love is indeed the most powerful. Just because I am curious, why did you say fear?"

"Well, from what I have experienced of it, fear seems to be a powerful weapon for someone who wishes to harm you." Estel was remembering Reneal's attack on the river on the way to Lorien. "Though, somehow it is possible to use that fear to keep yourself calm so you know what actions to take."

"That is a very good explanation Estel. Now why do think love is the most powerful?"

"I would imagine it's because love can give you strength and comfort from fear. I know because that's what my mother does for me. I always feel safe around her or anyone else in this house because I know everyone cares for me. And I think, at least in animals, love conquers all enemies because the families want to ensure the safety of all their members."

"Yes, indeed. You are correct. Love is a very protective force or bond between mother and child. But, there is also another kind of love- that between a male and female."

"I do not know many human love stories, but the most famous Elven one is of Beren and Luthien. Yet, it is also a famous human love story for Beren was a man and he fell in love with an elf princess named Luthien."

"Remember the story of the Silmarils? This is connected with that story as well, as are many legends of old. Everything is connected. This tale is very long and sad. There are very few in the world left who know the entire story, but what I am about to tell you are the parts the loremasters turned to poetry. Most elves know it by heart by the time they are your age."

_The Lay of Luthien_

_The leaves were long, the grass was green,_

_The hemlock-umbels tall and fair,_

_And in the glade a light was seen_

_Of stars in shadow shimmering._

_Tinuviel was dancing there_

_To music of a pipe unseen,_

_And light of stars was in her hair,_

_And in her raiment glittering._

_There Beren came from mountains cold,_

_And lost he wandered under the leaves,_

_And where the Elven-river rolled_

_He walked alone and sorrowing._

_He peered between the hemlock-leaves_

_And saw in wonder flowers of gold_

_Upon her mantle and her sleeves,_

_And her hair like shadow following._

_Enchantment healed his weary feet_

_That over hills were doomed to roam;_

_And forth he hastened, strong and fleet,_

_And grasped moonbeams glistening._

_Through woven woods in Elvenhome_

_She lightly fled on dancing feet,_

_And left him lonely still to roam_

_In the silent forest listening._

_He heard there oft the flying sound_

_Of feet as light as linden-leaves,_

_Or music welling underground,_

_In hidden hollows quavering._

_Now withered lay the hemlock-sheaves,_

_And one by one with sighing sound_

_Whispering fell the beechen leaves_

_In the wintry woodland wavering._

_He sought her ever, wandering far_

_Where leaves of years were thickly strewn,_

_By light of moon and ray of star_

_In frosty heavens shivering._

_Her mantle glinted in the moon,_

_As on a hill-top high and far_

_She danced, and at her feet was strewn_

_A mist of silver quivering._

_When winter passed, she came again,_

_And her song released the sudden spring,_

_Like rising lark, and falling rain,_

_And melting water bubbling._

_He saw the Elven-flowers spring_

_About her feet, and healed again_

_He longed by her to dance and sing_

_Upon the grass untroubling._

_Again she fled, but swift he came._

_Tinuviel! Tinuviel!_

_He called her by her Elvish name;_

_And there she halted listening._

_One moment stood she, and a spell_

_His voice laid on her: Beren came,_

_And doom fell on Tinuviel_

_That is his arms lay glistening._

_  
As Beren looked into her eyes_

_Within the shadows of her hair,_

_The trembling starlight of the skies_

_He saw there mirrored shimmering._

_Tinuviel the Elven-fair,_

_Immortal maiden, Elven-wise,_

_About him cast her shadowy hair_

_And arms like silver glimmering._

_Long was the way that fate them bore,_

_O'er stormy mountains cold and grey,_

_Through halls of iron and darkling door,_

_And woods of nightshade morrowless._

_The Sundering Seas between them la,_

_And yet at last they met once more,_

_And long ago they passed away_

_In the forest singing sorrowless._


	44. Chapter 44

Chapter 44 Secrets

A/N: The characters of Sammy and Elewen are the creation of a dear friend. She allowed me to use them in my story. Their adventures are in the scrapbook at . 

Over the next few years, the elves taught Estel a lot about warfare, life and love. The elves saw he ate up everything he was taught with a supernatural greed. He quickly became an ever-learning master of not only the sword, but the bow and arrow as well. Based on the elves' experiences, he received more training with the bow and arrow, but loved the sword more because he felt it gave him more power.

Everyday he would go to training then continue with his other studies or chores after eating a small meal. His mother relented a great deal more when she saw how much he was growing and learning. He was even able to go on patrol or hunts with the elves at least once a month. Some of these trips had a specific purpose such as finding more herbs for the healers or cooks. Estel loved to find the sprigs of peppermint that his brothers had showed him what seemed like a million years ago.

One day after returning from a riding excursion with Melian, Estel saw Elrohir with an elf maiden he had never seen before. Estel giggled when he saw his brother take the she-elf's hand and give her a kiss on the cheek. He was at the age when he really didn't care much for girls, but even he had to admit this blonde-haired elf was beautiful.

Her hair was braided back in several plaits as if she had been training. Estel's mind was reeling. He had never heard of a shield maiden in Imladris. There had been a few in Lórien, so it wasn't completely unheard of. Estel had to duck down in the stall quick as there was another she-elf coming his way.

This one looked like no elf Estel had ever seen. Her hair was a light brown color and her skin was very fair. He managed to see her eyes just as he ducked down and became mesmerized by them. They were the color of the sea if Estel had known it, for she was a Noldorian elf.

-----------

Elrohir grinned. He was so happy now that the love of his life was back. Samrendiel and Elewen had just returned. Elrohir could see Sammy's best friend coming towards them. "Mae Govannen, Elewen. It's wonderful to see you both back."

Estel was shocked. He had never seen such a joyous light in his brother's eyes. He had snuck closer so he could hear what was being said. He gasped when he got a closer look at Sammy. Her eyes were a merry shade of blue and her face looked exactly like Haldir's. Elrohir held up his hand to silence the two when he heard the noise in the stall next door. When Estel heard the straw cracking, he knew he was in trouble.

"Oh, we have a spy, I see," Elrohir said as he grabbed Estel's ear and pulled him out of the stall. Estel looked down at the ground after Elrohir let him go. He was going to be trouble later, he just knew it.

"Elewen, Sammy, I would like you to meet my foster brother, Estel." He looked up at the two she-elves and bowed, "Mae Govannen. It is nice to meet you. I will see you later. I have to go finish rubbing Melian down," and he quickly ran off.

Sammy and Elewen laughed. "You are so mean Elrohir," Sammy grinned.

"I will leave you two alone so I can go talk to him. I will see you later." And with that, he ran off.

Later up in the house, Estel avoided his brother all day, he didn't want to tell anyone what he had seen. Though, he had to admit, his brother had good taste.

Dinner that night was an interesting affair. Estel found out that the two she-elves were indeed shield maidens of both Imladris and Lothlorien. This intrigued him. He noticed Sammy stayed close to Elrohir while Elewen sat next to Glorfindel. He did not know what to say, as the thoughts that were running through his mind were scattered and conflicting.


	45. Chapter 45

A/N: paraphrased from The Silmarillion and The Fellowship of the Ring

Chapter 45

Over the next few months, he became more used to the idea of Sammy and Elewen joining them at practice. Both were refined in the acts of war and healing and both chided Estel when he dared to call them ladies. He quickly learned to not do that.

All around Imladris, the elves were terrified for now there were five holy terrors in their midst. They all enjoyed the times they spent together immensely. On many days, they could all be seen working or playing together. Not only was the sound of their laughter the best sound in the house, but also they were also responsible for many of Elrond's headaches.

One day the five went for a picnic near the river and to just enjoy the cool fall day. They had been given a day off from training so they had every intention of using it wisely.

While Sammy and Elewen were off picking flowers, Estel cornered his brother about Sammy. "Elrohir, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course you can nenth min."

Estel drew a big breath and asked, "Do you love her, Elrohir?"

Elrohir looked at his brother with a big question in his eyes. The elf had never heard his brother ask anything about love or even girls.

Estel saw his brother's questioning look and explained, "I have seen the way you treat Sammy. I have seen you around other elves, but they never affected you the way she does. You seem to be a completely different elf when she's around."

Elladan had been chewing on a blade of grass thoughtfully listening to their conversation. "You know he is right, brother. It is a simple yes or no question, right?"

"I guess it is a simple question, but I don't have a simple answer I'm afraid. Yes, I do love her, but I don't think I could ever ask for her to marry me."

Even Elladan was shocked at his brother's answer. He had never heard him talk like this. But he could tell where his brother was going by the way his voice was faltering.

"I think I know where Elrohir is headed with this conversation. Now sit back Estel, while we tell you the tale of Luthien the Fair and her mortal lover, Beren."

"The tale of Lùthien Tinùviel is long and the end is only known by a few that still walk this land. Like all tales of this land, it is fair, yet sad."

"Yes, Ada told me bits of it a few years ago."

"Well, maybe we can fill in some of the finer points. Melkor had stolen the Silmarils that Fëanor had wrought. They were the most precious of elven jewels for they were made of light from The Two Trees of Valinor. Some of the elves of the West had returned to Middle Earth to make war on Melkor and his servants to retrieve the stolen Silmarils. Some of the men who were of close kindred to the elves joined them. Among these were Barahir and his son Beren. The campaign was unsuccessful and many were lost including Barahir."

"After a long and tiresome journey, Beren ended up in the forest of the hidden kingdom of Doriath. There he beheld the fair daughter of Thingol, but he was unable to catch her. Her hair was as dark as the night, yet her face was as light as the day."

"Beren named her Tinùviel as she danced on the hilltops when winter had passed. Her father decreed her bride price should be nothing less than the lost silmaril of Fëanor. Through many trials Beren passed until his fair love rescued him silmaril and all. Upon leaving the overthrown castle of Morgoth, they were attacked by wolves of Angband. Beren died in the arms of the one he called Tinùviel. The damage to her heart had been done and she chose the way of the mortal so she might follow her beloved and stay by his side for all eternity."

Estel had tears in his eyes by the time Elladan finished his story. He had never heard of anything so beautiful and wondered if he would ever be willing to die for love.

Elrohir added, "There are very few who recall the whole story for it is long and troublesome on many accounts. But Ada knows some of it for we are descended from the line of Lùthien and Beren. Have you ever heard Glorfindel call Ada _Peredhil?_"

Estel nodded. He had heard it used a few times in jest but could never figure out its meaning. Elladan explained, "It means 'half-elf'. He and his brother Elros were given the choice of immortality or to live the way of man and his brother chose the former while Ada chose to remain with the people of his grandmother."

About that time, Sammy and Elewen returned with wreathes of flowers in hand. After they finished their meal they returned to the city. The tale had left Estel with a lot to think about and his brothers as well. They too shared the same unspoken fear as Elrond for their sister that one day the tale of Lùthien would be repeated; only it would be this little human, their brother, who would steal her heart.


	46. Chapter 46

Chapter 46 Love of a Dunedain

Later when they returned to Imladris, Estel told his mother the story of Lùthien and Beren as Elladan had told it to him. Gilrean was left speechless when she saw how fast her son was becoming a man and how close most of her fears were to becoming truth. She noticed how Estel looked at Elrohir and Sammy and decided to finally talk to him about the most important things in life.

One afternoon, Estel was surprised to hear his lessons had been cancelled because his mother wanted to talk to him. He had a hard time finding her because she was not where he thought she should have been. Finally, the last place Estel tried was the gardens by the bridge and saw his mother sitting on a bench waiting for him.

"Ah, my son, my hope. Glad you got the message."

Estel cringed. He was almost 16 and hated for his mother to talk to him like that. "You wished to speak with me?"

"Yes, my son. It is amazing to me to see how fast you are growing up. I called you to me to tell you about our people and some of the things that I have noticed that I think will benefit you."

Estel was intrigued. This was the first time he had heard his mother mention the Dunedain people in a long time. He went over to her and sat down beside her. He had waited an even longer time to hear this.

"We are descendants of the fair people of Numenor. After the last king of Gondor fell, his heirs fled into the north. They became sundered from their kin and renamed themselves the Dúnedain. Our people became nomadic, moving around from camp to camp. They also became the protectors of those villages and peoples that did not even know they existed. The doom of our people is to roam the wilds until the king is restored to the throne of Gondor, for now it is ruled over by a Steward."

"It has been said that some blood of Numenor still runs true in many of the Dúnedain. The name Dunedain means Man of the West. At least this is the hope of our people for only one of pure blood may reclaim the throne."

Estel was just beginning to wonder what all of this had to do with him when his mother completely changed her course.

"And one of the most important things in a man's life is the woman he chooses to share that life with. It is very important that she is strong on her own and can bring that strength to your lives together. Love is important too, but it is not everything. Love cannot provide you food or shelter. It is important though because without love or friendship, you will destroy each other."

What little he could remember with both his mother and father, Estel knew she spoke the truth. They had always been very loving to each other and had rarely fought. Tears came to his eyes as he remembered this because he now only had fleeting memories of what his father had been like.

They sat there for sometime just breathing in the freshness of the garden and hearing the sounds of the river. Estel had been sitting on the ground when he heard footsteps. It was Glorfindel. He had been sent to find them because it was almost time for dinner. He helped Estel up and took his leave of them.

Estel bent down and whispered in Gilrean's ear, "Thank you. I won't ever forget what you've taught me. And don't ever forget that your little hunter loves you." It had been several years since he had told them to stop calling him by the old nickname.

When Gilrean looked up, she had tears in her eyes. Estel took her arm and they headed back to the house.


	47. Chapter 47

Chapter 47  
When Estel turned 16, he was cleaning his sword one day and suddenly dropped it with a clang to the floor. He would need to check with Glorfindel to be sure that he was right, but he thought he finally figured out what the inscription on his sword said. It was becoming too small for him because he was growing so fast, but he was afraid to ask for another, he was too used to this one and wasn't sure if Glorfindel or Elrond thought him ready for a new sword. This one had been through a lot and he wasn't quite ready to give it up just yet, after all, it was a daily reminder of his trip to Lórien and all of his training. He would never forget how happy everyone was the day that he passed the skill tests.

Estel picked up the sword and continued cleaning it, but inspected it more closely. 'Yes,' he thought. 'I believe that I know what it says, but 'Last son of Kings?' I wonder what that means.'

When he was through, he went to find Glorfindel. He knew Lord Elrond was busy and Glorfindel was usually easier to find and he was right. Glorfindel was doing some research in the library when Estel found him.

"Glorfindel, do you know what my sword says?"

"Why? Have you finally figured it out?"

"I believe that I have, but I wanted to be sure and to see if you could explain what it means."

"Well, I can tell you if you are right in your assumption, but it is not up to me to explain its meaning. Let me see it."

Estel handed him the sword. "It also looks like it's time for us to make you a new blade, this one is much too short now." Estel only nodded in agreement and waited for Glorfindel to continue. "Yes, here is what it says:

_Bell edonnen_

_Ion mhedui Erain_

_Tegi hon onnen_

_Estel e-Ndunedain_

_Strong he was born_

_Last son of Kings_

_To lead he was born_

_Hope of the Dunedain. _

I am afraid I can be of no further help to you, but I will put in an order for the smithies to begin work on a new sword for you."

"Thank you Glorfindel. But, you can't even give me a hint?"

"No, neth min. I cannot. That is your Ada's job and honestly I don't want to be around when he does tell you. It causes him much worry, but that is not for me to discuss."

Estel was relieved that he had been right, but he knew that he would have to wait quite a while for a chance to speak with Lord Elrond. Many different elves and men came to Rivendell every day seeking refuge or to talk with Lord Elrond. Estel pushed the questions out of his head. His Ada would tell him when the time was right, he knew it.

-------------------------------

Several months later, Elrond requested Estel's presence in his study. Estel was surprised to see Glorfindel and his brothers there as well.

As he opened the door, Elrond said, "Come in Estel. We were just waiting for you. I believe you had a conversation with Glorfindel a few months ago about a new sword."

"Yes, I did."

"Well, I'm sorry this won't be a big ceremony like last time, but it will do. Come closer. We have fashioned you a sword that is more like Dunedain's as opposed to an Elven one. It may take some time to get used to its length and weight, but it will fit you nicely. I have a feeling you will go looking for your mother's kin one day and this way you won't have to request a new sword."

Estel took the sword off the table to inspect it. It was a very simple blade with the only ornamentation being a small five-pointed star that was engraved into the blade. The handle was wrapped in black leather.

"This is the symbol for the Dunedain, yes? I remember seeing it on a blade that my mother gave me before we left for Lórien." Estel asked.

As Estel held the blade, getting a feel for it, the light from the fireplace caught the blade and it seemed to glow red.

"I think I will name it 'fire-brand'. Thank you Ada and Glorfindel."


	48. Chapter 48

A/N: The last few chapters are taken from Appendix A of Return of the King

Chapter 48 Destiny Revealed

Over the years that followed, the Elves were amazed at the changes that had come over Estel. He had grown taller and much stronger. Those who were around him the most began to notice the light that had been kindled in his eyes. The time had finally come when he was no longer required to study history or lore. He even began to win renown on the hunts he went on. Gradually, he was gone for longer and further away from the boundaries of Imladris.

In his twentieth year, Estel had been out hunting orcs with Elladan and Elrohir near the mountain passes. They returned victorious for many of the foul creatures had been slain or driven from their holes.

Upon their return, Elrond called Estel to his chambers. Elrond had seen the great deeds of Estel along with those of his sons in the last few years and was pleased. Estel had become fair and noble. Manhood had come on him early, yet he could still be greater. Thus it was that Elrond revealed to him his true name and explained more about the great line of kings he had been born into.

"After your father was slain, upon your arrival here your mother and I thought it best to hide all of this from you for your protection and you may still have to hide it, but this seems to be the hour that has been appointed for you to know. I rename you Aragorn son of Arathorn and surrender some of the heirlooms of your house to you."

Elrond rose from his seat and went to his desk where he took a box out of one of the drawers.

"This is the Ring of Barahir and with it also comes the name of Elessar, for it was made by the elves and given to Barahir and then passed to his son upon his death."

Aragorn opened the box and gasped at the ring. It had two serpents with emerald eyes; one devouring and the other crowned with golden flowers.

"I also surrender the Shards of Narsil to you. The house of the king can only wield its power. I will return in a moment."

Aragorn sat quietly, trying to digest what Elrond had told him. Aragorn jumped with a start when Elrond came back in the room carrying a small, silver rod.

"This is the sceptre of Annuminas. There are many who believe that it is actually the oldest artifact in Middle Earth. When Numenor sank, most thought it was lost, but it was recovered and brought to Middle Earth by Elendil. When Arnor was destroyed, the artifacts of the house of Elendil came to me by the Dunedain."

"It is named after the Northern capital city of Annuminas for the scepter was the symbol of royalty of the Northern Kingdom. I freely give you the heirlooms of your house as a Dunedain, but I do not feel like you have earned the Sceptre, for it represents the reunion of the Kingdom of men and the reclamation of the throne in Gondor. I only wished to show it to you, I no longer want secrets."

Aragorn put the box for the ring in his pocket, but slid the ring on his finger. It fit perfect. Rising, he excused himself. Elrond noticed that there were tears in Aragorn's eyes as he said quietly, "Thank you Ada."

Quickly he hugged his Ada and ran off to find his brothers.


	49. Chapter 49

Chapter 49

When he finally had time to think the day over, Aragorn found there were conflicting thoughts in his head. He knew it would take a while to get used to being called a different name. But the main thing that was troubling him the most was the information Elrond had revealed about his father. He finally decided he would still call Elrond his Ada. He always had and he always would.

Aragorn's heart was so full of joy that the next day as he was walking through the woods, he met an angel. Or so she seemed to him. He thought for a moment that he was dreaming and the he had received the gift of elven minstrels that could conjure up images through song.

Aragorn called out to her, afraid she would vanish, "Tinùviel, Tinùviel!" The lady stopped and asked, "Why do you call me that?"

"I was singing The Lay of Lùthien and saw you. From what I have heard, you look like exactly like her."

"Nay, I am not her, but many share your opinion. I am called Arwen Undomiel, the last child of Lord Elrond. Who are you?"

Aragorn's mind was reeling. He could see why he had not been told about this fair lady. "I was called Estel, but I am Aragorn son of Arathorn, Lord of the Dunedain." His heart had rejoiced at this just the day before, but now compared to this lady's dignity and loveliness, it seemed worthless. "That is a marvel to me for though I have dwelt in his house since I was very small I have heard nothing of you."

She looked to the mountains in the East and answered, "No, you would not have. I have lived in the land of my mother for some time. But I have returned from Lórien because I have wished to see my father again."

To him, she seemed of no greater age than he, yet there was the Elven-light in her eyes. Arwen explained, "All of Elrond's children have the life of the Eldar."

And from that moment on, Aragorn loved no other.


	50. Chapter 50:1

Chapter 50 History of Gondor pt.1

A few weeks after meeting Arwen, Aragorn decided that he wanted to know more about Gondor and the kingdom he may someday rule, so he asked for permission away from training for a few days, which was granted by Lord Elrond for he knew his foster son was full of questions.

Aragorn had always loved the library, not so much when he was younger because of all the seeming meaningless lessons he had to endure, but he loved the smell of the books. Many of the books in Imladris' library were millennia older than he and most gave off the fragrance of musty parchment and leather.

Aragorn just decided to wander around and see where it led him. As he walked, occasionally fingering the books, he mused about all of those lessons, maybe some of them weren't so bad.

Finally, he thought that he found the one book he was looking for. It was a rather large book with black leather and silver writing. Most of the writing had faded, but one could still see the title, _A Short History of the Kingdoms of Arnor and Gondor by The Lords of Numenor._

Aragorn had to laugh at the title. It had probably been added to since it had been originally written, but this was by no means a short book. He took the book off of the shelf and found a comfy overstuffed chair near the back of the room. Aragorn knew he would not be disturbed this far back.

Aragorn carefully opened the book to the beginning and started to read:

"I, Elendil and my sons Isildur and Anárion have fled our home in Numenor. We brought nine ships from the island where many others have preceded us to the lands that are known as Eriador. The people of Numenor have become corrupted by Sauron; whom I believe to be a great deceiver. Before we fled, Sauron ordered the White Tree of the Kings to be sacrificed to Melkor as many humans have been as well. My son, Isildur saved a fruit from the sacred tree and hopefully we can continue the line of the King's Tree here in Middle Earth."

"The year is 3320 of the Second Age and we have received word that many of our kin have perished. Sauron convinced the armies of the King of Numenor to make war on the Valar and try to sail to the Undying Lands. All mortals of Numenor know this is prohibited. Even here in Middle Earth, we felt many rumblings of the sea. We know now that Numenor is lost forever to the sea. There is no going back now."

"This is a fair land with many trees and growing things. We have come across a few settlements, but none as advanced as what we once knew. I decided to stay here and settle the lands into a proper kingdom. Isildur and Anárion headed south to see what lands they could claim. I have decided to call these lands Arnor, 'The Land of the King.' I have placed the capital city near a lake called Evendim; the city shall be called Annuminas."

"The year 3325, Arnor is flourishing. I have received word from my sons that they too are successful and have founded twin cities named Osgilith and Minas Anor near the sea to the South."

"I have now seen the fair city. My sons had Osgilith, the main city, built into two parts over the river Anduin. It is a fair city of light and beauty that is very populated in such a short while. The other city Minas Anor is about half a day's ride from Osgilith. It is a marvel to behold for it is carved from the mountain itself. It has seven levels and is made of the same white marble as the city of Osgilith. I have enjoyed my time here, but feel that I must return to my own people soon, the shadow of Mordor and the Dark Lord's servant Sauron is rising."

Aragorn had to take a break from his reading. The light was becoming poor and some of the writing had become quite faint and hard to read over the years. Aragorn tried to picture this city in his head, but he had no point of reference, someday he would see it, someday. Aragorn knew that he could skip the next parts of the story for he knew them well: the defeat of Elendil and his sons was legend in Rivendell.

He decided to mark where he was at and pick up again over the next few days for right now; he was hungry and needed something to eat desperately.


	51. Chapter 50:2

Chapter 50 pt. 2

Aragorn indeed returned to the library over the next few weeks to learn more about his history.

He had skipped over the parts of The Last Alliance that he did know, but found out some things that he had not been told.

"The year is 3429 of the Second Age. Sauron has attacked us in Gondor. I fear that if we do not receive help from our kin and friends from the North, we will fall."

Aragorn skipped ahead a few more pages and found the most curious entry he had seen so far.

"It is the second year of the New Age. Our enemy has been defeated, yet our cities are in ruins. My father and brother were both slain. I still have the seed from the White Tree of Numenor and have decided to plant it in the courtyard of Minas Anor. I am doing this in memory of my brother and father. They sacrificed too much to not be remembered. The city is being rebuilt and restructured, hopefully to make it stronger. Though, I fear the country that my father founded, Arnor will not survive being ruled from so far."

"Arnor has indeed fallen. There has been much strife between the regions for a long time now and they have finally sundered. Many have fallen under the spell of the Witch-King who now calls most of Arnor his home, Angmar. The remains of those loyal to Gondor have gone into hiding and to live the life of wanderers. They are called the Dunedain and have indeed said they will remain loyal to the crown. There are many who believe that if the crown should fall, that there will be some royalty left in the Dunedain for they are descended straight from the line of the Numenorians."

Aragorn made a note to ask Elrond about the White Tree. It was curious that something so small could have survived the trip over the seas and how many years between being taken and then planted.

He found out later in his readings that this seedling survived many more years. It finally withered in the year 2872--approximately 820 years after the last King of Gondor had ventured to Minas Morgul to accept a challenge by the Witch-King and never returned. After that, the King's second-in-command, the Steward, ruled the country. When the tree died, it continued to hold a place of honor in the courtyard of Minas Tirith.

Aragorn kept reading until late in the night again. There was much that had been written of the rebuilding and expansion of Gondor. There were even a few places where he recognized Elrond's writing.

From what Aragorn could gather, the cities of Osgilith and of Arnor were now almost totally destroyed. And servants of Sauron still inhabited Minas Ithil or as it were now called, Minas Morgul. The people of Osgilith had fled over the river and had made Minas Arnor the permanent capital of the realm of Gondor. Shortly after this, it was renamed Minas Tirith--Tower of the Guard.

When Aragorn reached this part, he decided to retire for the night and give the book a rest for a few days. He had spent almost a month inside and wanted to train over the next few days.


	52. Chapter 50:3

Chapter 50 part3—Curious object and prophecies

Aragorn did indeed take a break from his readings. He found the book strangely more fascinating than any of his lessons had ever been. Maybe it was because he was older and he was truly interested now. This was his heritage and he really wanted to find out where he came from.

Aragorn returned to the library about two weeks later. The book he had been reading was exactly where he left it. Aragorn found his page marker and flipped ahead a few more pages and found a section titled _Curious Objects and Prophecies._ Aragorn had never learned much about the seers that lived in Middle Earth and he definitely had never met one, so this part intrigued him greatly.

Aragorn began to read, "The king of the mountain swore allegiance at the stone of Erech in the beginning of the realm of Gondor. But when Sauron returned and grew in might again, Isildur summoned the men of the mountains to fulfill their oath and they would not; for they had worshipped Sauron in the dark years." At this Aragorn stopped and reread what he just saw. He had never heard of such a thing and he thought he knew everything that had happened to the King Isildur.

Aragorn continued reading, "Then Isildur said to the King, 'Thou shalt be the last king. And if the West proves mightier than thy Black Master, this curse I lay upon thee and thy folk: to rest never until your oath is fulfilled. For this war will last through years uncounted, and you shall be summoned once again ere the end."

Aragorn never realized a king had that type of power. It was hard to imagine that one person's words could have so much sway. He wondered if indeed there were cursed souls haunting Middle Earth.

Aragorn turned the page and found the following prophecy:

Malbeth the seer in the days of Arvedui wrote:

_Over the land there lies a long shadow,_

_Westward reaching wings of darkness._

_The Tower trembles; to the tombs of kings_

_Doom approaches. The Dead awaken;_

_For the hour is come for the oathbreakers:_

_At the Stone of Erech they shall stand gain_

_And hear there a horn in the hills ringing._

_Whose horn shall it be? Who shall call them?_

_From the grey twilight, the forgotten people?_

_The heir of him to whom the oath they swore._

_From the North shall he come, need shall drive him:_

_He shall pass the Door to the Paths of the Dead._

Aragorn thought to himself, "Is there really a time coming when I could potentially conjure an army to help Gondor? I cannot imagine such darkness." He passed his hand over his eyes and tried to shake the images of the spectral warriors that had floated into his vision. Aragorn decided to take another short break from his reading; he felt the darkness was already taking over even though it was still afternoon outside the walls of the Last Homely House.

He left the book on a table and wandered out of the library. He knew he couldn't stay here forever, but here was where he was the most comfortable. Aragorn hoped it would always stay that way. He may love the outside, but he felt at peace in the house of Elrond. Aragorn wandered over the grounds for a while and suddenly noticed he was very hungry, but it was already passed the time for the noontime meal. Aragorn headed down to the kitchens to see if he could sneak a snack without the cooks noticing. Aragorn looked around and didn't notice anyone; he grabbed a loaf of bread out of the pantry and headed to the training fields and the stables. It had been a few days since he checked on Melian.

Aragorn didn't mind the smell of hay like some did. He found where Melian was stabled and went up to her. He was met with what seemed an angry snort. Aragorn laughed, "I know, I know. It has been too long since I came to check on you. Too much has happened; I can't even begin to tell you my love. But, I do have a treat for you." Melian stuck her nose over the stall door in search of her treats, but had no need because Aragorn's hand reached her nose before she got too far. "Thank you for always being here for me beauty. I love you. Though, I am afraid I left something undone. I will return later."

Aragorn made his way back to the library. He wanted to finish reading what he had found in the book. He was really starting to get cabin fever and felt he was getting close to what he wanted to know.

Aragorn picked up the book again and began to read.

"The Palantir were made by the Elves of Valinor in the Uttermost West, by the Noldor and Fëanor himself. Many were made, but the actual number is not known. Some had power over other Stones. The Master Stone was kept in the tower on Tol Eressëa, but no record has been found of a successful communication between Tol Eressea and Arda. The stones' gaze can pierce anything except darkness and shadow.

During the Second Age, some of the stones were given to the Dùnedain of Numenor as a gift. Elendil took seven with him when he fled Numenor. Once in Middle-Earth, they were distributed among seven places: four in Gondor and three in Arnor.

One Stone was placed in the tower of the Tower Hills, just west of the Shire. It could be used to look along the Straight Road to Tol Eressea and was the only stone to have been known to have such a link.

The palantír of Amon Sûl was placed in the Watchtower. When Arnor was divided into three kingdoms, all of them tried to claim Amon Sûl. The Stone was removed before Amon Sul was destroyed in 1409. It was taken further north.

The last Stone of the North was placed in Annuminas on the shores of Lake Evendim. When Annuminas was abandoned and the Kings moved to Fornost, they took the palantír with them. This stone was lost with the palantir of Amon Sul when the King fled and capsized in the ice flows.

The Stone of Osgilith was the largest stone among the seven, and chief among them. Osgilith held the only Stone that could intercept communications between two other stones. It was lost when it fell into the river Anduin during the Kin-Strife of Gondor.

One Stone was placed at Minas Ithil. The Nazgûl took over Minas Ithil and renamed it Minas Morgul. It is believed that this palantir was relocated to Barad-dûr for Sauron's use.

One Stone was placed at Orthanc, the great tower built by the Dùnedain in the Second Age at the southern end of the Misty Mountains. One Stone was placed at Minas Anor, later renamed Minas Tirith and made the capital of Gondor."

Aragorn was again intrigued by the creations of the Elves. He thought that he would have liked to meet someone as brilliant as Feanor--despite his many wrong-doings.

Aragorn hoped in his heart that all he had been told would truly set him on his proper path and that he would know what to do in the right situations. Despite his memories fading, Aragorn suddenly wished he could have the advice of his father. From what his mother had told him, though, his father had not been ruler for long before he too was slain.

As he stood, Aragorn was surprised to feel a small tear on his cheek. "Help me daddy. Be with me to guide me. I fear I must leave this place of comfort soon."


	53. Chapter 51

Again, taken from Appendix A

Chapter 51 Conversations

In the weeks and months that followed his encounter with Arwen, Aragorn became increasingly quiet. Only those closest to him noticed the change. One day his mother cornered him.

"Aragorn, tell me what has changed you so much in the last few days that you hardly talk to anyone or just sit and stare into nothingness."

But he refused to answer her questions or even acknowledge that he had heard.

"I know we have all given you a lot to think about in the last few months, but that is no reason to cut yourself off from everyone." From that moment, Gilrean realized what was troubling her son when she looked in his eyes and he figured out her guesses.

"Alright, I will tell you, but please don't tell anyone else," Aragorn pleaded.

"Okay, I won't tell. Now you have me even more curious so out with it. Who is she?"

"I met Lord Elrond's daughter, Arwen, in the forest after he told me my true name." Aragorn let out a deep sigh. He felt some small relief that he had gotten it off his chest, but yet, at the same time had a feeling his troubles were only just beginning.

"My son, your aim is high, even for the descendant of many kings. For this lady is the noblest and fairest that now walks this earth. And it is not fit that a mortal should wed with the Elf-kin."

"Yet, we have some part in that kinship," Aragorn answered, "If the tale of my forefathers is true that I have learned."

"It is true," said Gilrean, "but it was long ago and in another age of this world, before our race was diminished. I am afraid; for without the good will of Master Elrond, the Heirs of Isildur would have ended long ago for Elrond fostered Isildur's own son as well. But I do not think you will have his goodwill in this matter."

"Then, my days will be bitter and I will walk in the wild alone."

"That will indeed be your fate. Don't take my words too seriously. Though, she may be the greatest treasure to Elrond, I do think you could possibly hold more sway over him than you realize. A child can hold on to a parent's heart for forever and Elven Lords are no exception to that. Elladan and Elrohir still get by with a lot. But, I gave you my promise and I give it again to tell no one of what we have spoken. Now go with my blessing and do what you must."

-----------

Several days later, Aragorn was called into Elrond's study. As he seated himself, he asked, "You wished to see me, Ada?"

"Ah, yes, Aragorn. I have the ability to see many things and to read people's unspoken intentions and I have perceived some of your thoughts as well in the past few weeks. And I say this to you, many years of trial lie before you. You shall neither have wife, nor bind any woman to you in troth, until your time comes and you are found worthy of it."

Upon hearing this, Aragorn became angry. "Has my mother spoken to you of this?"

"Calm yourself, my child. No, she spoke nothing to me, but your eyes have betrayed you. I saw the moment I told you of your history the light that was kindled in them and it burns ever brighter since you have laid eyes on my chief treasure. But, I do not speak of my daughter alone. You shall be betrothed to no man's child as yet. But as for Arwen, she is of greater lineage than you and she has lived in the world already so long that to her, you are a yearling shoot beside a young birch of many summers. She is too far above you. And so, I think, it may well seem to her. But even if it were not so, and her heart were turned towards you, I should still be grieved for the doom of choice that is laid upon us. For as long as I live here, she lives with the youth of the Eldar, and when I depart these shores, so shall she, if she so chooses."

"So I see. Indeed, I have chosen no less treasure than what Beren desired of Thingol. Such is my fate. But, Ada, the years of your staying are running short and the choice must soon be laid on your children," Aragon became flushed as he spoke, but he knew he had hit the mark.

"That may be. But I say, there will be no choice before Arwen unless you come between us and bring one of us, you or me, to a bitter parting beyond the end of the world. You still do not know what you desire of my heart."

After a while, Elrond sighed and said, "The years will bring what they will. We will speak no more of this until many have passed. The days darken and much evil is to come."

As Aragorn rose to leave, he replied, "Sadly, that may be true that one day all that is beautiful will be laid to ruin. My heart is as grieved as yours in this matter. I feel that it is a bird being kept in a cage, but I will respect your wishes and say no more. I have spoken with my mother about this and she agrees. In the morning, I will take my leave of this house for a time to seek out our Northern kin. I ask only for your blessing and whatever provisions you can spare." With this, he quietly closed the door behind him and headed to gather what he would need to take with him into the wilds.

Elrond was not as surprised at these words as he thought he would be. Aragorn had already grown into a wonderful man and had many great deeds before him still.


	54. Chapter 52

Chapter 52 The Leave-taking and Epilogue

The next day, Aragorn took his leave of the household. The day began by raiding the pantries for food that would keep for several days. Suddenly, the hunting trips he and his brothers had gone on had had purpose. Next, he gathered together everything that he had packed the night before and loaded his saddlebags. Aragorn still enjoyed talking to and giving treats to his beloved Melian. She had become a fine mare with the most beautiful painting of grey and white on her body. And she had finally come into her own as a well-known horse for she had just turned 13 right before Aragorn found out about who he really was.

Finally, all was ready for his trip. Aragorn said goodbye to everyone two or three times at least. This was a lot harder than he thought. Gilrean refused to see him leave. She couldn't bear sharing her grief at this moment, so Aragorn had said his goodbyes to her earlier that morning in their rooms. She had also given him messages to give to the Dunedain should he overtake them eventually. They mainly told of how everything had gone and was going and to take care of Aragorn for her.

"You have already acquired many names in a short while, but I shall give you one more. I bid you to keep your name and heritage safe in your heart and share it with no one, even if they seem to be trusted as a friend. Only reveal this information if it is absolutely crucial or you have contacted me. I know many of those who roam this Middle Earth, some good, many now turned bad. So choose carefully whom you make acquaintances of. I say all of this to get to the point of you need a traveling name. And I have chosen one to suit you well, introduce yourself as Strider of the Dunedain to any who ask. It is a name fitting of someone who wishes to hide as you do," Elrond had told his foster son.

He had also said a private goodbye to Arwen. Aragorn told her nothing of his conversation with Elrond, but he still felt he needed to tell her that he might not see her again for a long time.

Aragorn hugged everyone one last time and finally mounted Melian to ride off. Elladan and Elrohir would join him for a while and he was glad, he did not wish to make that goodbye yet.

After several months in his company, Elladan and Elrohir finally returned to Imladris. They had made sure Aragorn traveled as far north as they could accompany him. As he watched them leave, Aragorn's heart suddenly felt very heavy. For the first time in his life, he was completely alone in the world. He did not even have a real name, at least not one that he could share. Later that night, he finally set up his camp and fell into a restless sleep. It would become one thing that he could count on in the wilds.

A few weeks later, he overtook the Dunedain and gave them his mother's messages. He was grateful to be in the company of men again…

Epilogue: _This ends the second part of Aragorn's tale. Watch this space in the next few weeks for the continuation, Ranger in Waiting. Though, she may not remember, thanks to Lothithil for the title. This will be the third and last part in the tale and will eventually end where all great lives end, at the death of Aragorn and the beginning of his son's rule. Thanks again for your encouragement, help and just in general reading of my humble tale. ___


End file.
